John Lewis Christmas Ad Gets Me Again

The leaves are falling. There’s a chill in the air. I’ve finished eating all my kids’ halloween candy. That can mean only one thing. It’s almost Christmas! It also means it’s time for the 2015 John Lewis Christmas commercial!

I’m talking about John Lewis, the upscale department store chain in Great Britain (I’m not sure if Congressman John Lewis does a Christmas commercial). Every year, the store airs a touching Christmas “advert” that attempts to capture the heart and soul of the holiday. Every year, they succeed in making me tear up and smile. So, here’s your official kick-off to Christmas:

https://youtu.be/wuz2ILq4UeA

I look forward to these commercials every year. The feel is always the same. The tone is always the same. The message is always the same. For example, here’s my favorite, from 2011:

Even if your business can’t match the incredible quality of these ads, you can practice the same consistency in message and tone in your branding. This consistency is an essential branding practice because it reinforces your company’s reliability. I’ve never been to the UK and certainly have never visited a John Lewis store, but because of its consistency in branding, the brand has become an integral (and weepy) part of my holiday routine.