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Every winter, households across Britain get foggy-eyed at John Lewis’ latest Christmas advert.
From 2021’s “Unexpected Guest” featuring an alien crash landing on Earth to 2016’s “Buster the Boxer” featuring a dog jumping on a trampoline, these ads tickle our hearts like no other.
Although there are still four months to go before Christmas, some people are already so excited about the ad that they are speculating what it could be about.
Leeds-based marketing agency Boutique commissioned AI chatbot ChatGPT to predict the plot for the 2023 John Lewis ad.
The script features a pocket watch left behind in a cozy coffee house in a picturesque snowy village – but does it live up to John Lewis’ reputation?
The ad begins in a snowy village with a cozy coffee shop at its heart. A barista named Emily works behind the counter, serving drinks and interacting with the customers. When Emily sees an old pocket watch on the table, she picks it up and examines it. The watch has been “worn but still ticking,” ChatGPT explains
As Emily examines the pocket watch, the ad delves into a heartwarming series of flashbacks, with several people from different time periods in history receiving the pocket watch as a gift. Each flashback shows the watch’s journey through time, connecting generations of people who have cherished and passed on the watch
Boutique’s team asked ChatGPT to “predict the next John Lewis Christmas ad.”
It came with a script for an ad titled “A Timeless Gift – “Celebrate the Magic of Giving.”
The ad opens with a picturesque snowy village illuminated by the warm glow of street lamps. In the heart of the village is a cozy coffee house, with windows full of people laughing and enjoying hot drinks.
The narrator says, “In a village where time stood still, the magic of Christmas was about to unfold.”
In the next scene, a young barista named Emily can be seen working behind the counter, serving drinks and interacting with the customers. She has a “warm smile and a welcoming demeanor,” according to ChatGPT.
When Emily sees an old pocket watch on the table, she picks it up and examines it.
The watch has been “worn but still ticking,” ChatGPT explains.
As Emily examines the pocket watch, the ad delves into a heartwarming series of flashbacks, with several people from different time periods in history receiving the pocket watch as a gift.
Each flashback shows the watch’s journey through time, connecting generations of people who have cherished and passed on the watch.
In the present day, Emily decides to repair and restore the pocket watch. And as she explores its history, she learns about its significance to the village. With the watch restored to its former glory, Emily places it back on the table where she found it, accompanied by a small note that reads, “For the next chapter”
AI’s predictions come as John Lewis dumped the agency behind his tear-jerking Christmas ads – in favor of the marketing geniuses who brought Margaret Thatcher to Downing Street
In the present day, Emily decides to repair and restore the pocket watch.
And as she explores its history, she learns about its significance to the village.
With the watch restored to its former glory, Emily puts it back on the table where she found it, accompanied by a small note that reads, “For the next chapter.”
As Christmas Eve approaches, the village is decorated with lights and decorations. People gather at the coffee shop, and Emily’s act of kindness inspires them to undertake their own acts of giving.
On Christmas morning, the coffee house is bustling with activity. Emily smiles as she “witnesses the joy and connection that has been rekindled among the villagers.”
Meanwhile, the narrator says, “For in giving we find the true essence of Christmas.”
Finally, the ad ends with a shot of the pocket watch on the table, the hands ticking forward as the camera pans out, bringing the whole village together to celebrate.
The text on the screen reads: ‘A Timeless Gift: Celebrating the Magic of Giving’, before the John Lewis logo appears and the screen goes black.
AI’s predictions come as John Lewis dumped the agency behind his tear-jerking Christmas ads – in favor of the marketing geniuses who brought Margaret Thatcher to Downing Street.
Saatchi & Saatchi will lead the Christmas TV campaign this year and the launch of a joint John Lewis and Waitrose loyalty card next year.
Simon Bollon, managing director at Boutique, said: ‘The John Lewis Christmas ad is an important part of the marketing world and with Megaforce and Saatchi & Saatchi teaming up for this year’s ad we can expect something bigger and better than we’ve seen before . Sorry AI, but we think you’re losing this one…”