That John Lewis ad – magnifico?

Do not adjust your set. It is NOT Christmas yet.

It’s easy to see why you might be confused, though. It seems to have become an eagerly anticipated signifier that it’s OK to start the festivities when the John Lewis advert arrives.

So when one suddenly appeared on Tuesday during that other institution, The Great British Bake Off, it’s easy to see why some of us might have had a sudden hankering for eggnog and mince pies.

Although the lengthy spot, featuring children performing Bohemian Rhapsody as the centrepiece of the world’s most elaborate school play, had no branding until the very end, it was pretty obviously from the same people who give us the heartstring-tugging Xmas epics. But this one had a twist. At the end were not one, but two logos. Different, new, logos. For John Lewis & Partners and Waitrose & Partners. Brace yourselves, everyone – it’s a rebrand! As both are employee owned, the inclusion of ‘& Partners’ is aiming to make them stand out, and the ad uses phrases such as “for us it’s personal” and “when you’re part of it, you put your heart into it” to emphasise the extra care and quality of service this means they provide.

Apparently, the new logos work better online and for fashion branding too, apart from being “modern” and “progressive”. Interesting, as I’ve already seem them described as looking like the print you get on deckchairs, or the logo for a particularly bland solicitors. Of course, one drawback will be that we’ll all carry on calling the stores what we’ve always called them – “John Lewis”, and “I went in a Waitrose when I went South once – they’re a bit like Booths, aren’t they?” Is this a clever move then? Will customers, current or potential, actually care? Someone seems to think so – a rebrand on this scale is an expensive thing to do. With the likes of House of Fraser and Homebase struggling or being taken over, it’s tough times for bricks and mortar stores.

That John Lewis are apparently axing 270 of the very Partners they’re bigging-up (according to The Guardian), doesn’t exactly look like a promising start to their new look.

Anyway, enjoy the advert and join me in wishing it was the full nearly-six-minute version of the original Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen, including all the lyrics and instrumentation.

Happy Christmas... Dammit!