Animal magic: digital data and the deconstruction of the John Lewis Christmas 2014 campaign

Successive generations of brand managers have successfully used brand mascots to develop narratives that engage with mass audiences. This paper examines the Christmas 2014 campaign of retailer John Lewis which featured an... [ view full abstract ]

Successive generations of brand managers have successfully used brand mascots to develop narratives that engage with mass audiences. This paper examines the Christmas 2014 campaign of retailer John Lewis which featured an animated penguin, and won over audiences, journalists and practitioners alike. The campaign was ostensibly a multi-channel one, with a strong emphasis on social media. Our research found, though, that the achievements were often overstated and the claims made were rarely questioned. However, brand anthropomorphism was able to work its magic again and underpin a campaign with effective storytelling played out in a digital landscape.