MAM
adam&eveDDB creates new John Lewis Christmas campaign
MUMBAI: This Christmas, adam&eveDDB will pay tribute to the most memorable childhood Christmas celebration. The agency has created a new John Lewis Christmas campaign that takes the form of an animated woodland tale.
In the campaign ‘The Bear & The Hare’ tells a classic story of friendship at Christmas – building on the longstanding John Lewis theme of finding the perfect gift for those you care about. It features the strap line ‘Give someone a Christmas they’ll never forget.’
The beautifully handcrafted ad was written by adam&eveDDB creative directors Aidan McClure and Laurent Simon and directed by Blinkink’s Elliot Dear and Yves Geleyn. It has been created using hand-drawn animation combined with 3D sets – the first time this technique has been used in an advert in the UK.
Continuing the brand’s support of home-grown music talent, the ad is set to a cover of Keane’s 2004 hit ‘Somewhere Only We Know’ sung by Lily Allen.
Following a series of teasers on ITV that use the #sleeping bear, the ad was aired on 9 November in a special two minute spot during the X Factor. The campaign is John Lewis’s most integrated yet with the TV ad supported by a host of multichannel activity including a book, Christmas card maker, social media, in-store and windows, a digital outdoor projection and soundtrack single.
adam&eveDDB founding partner and chief executive James Murphy said: “It’s a privilege to create the advertising for the nation’s best loved department store at Christmas and this year is no exception. Not only have we been able to push the campaign into new territory creatively, we’ve also been able to deliver a truly multi faceted campaign that offers an in-depth take on thoughtful gifting that we hope will appeal to the child in all of us.”
Brands
Air Canada ceo to quit over “English-only” message after New York plane crash
English-only condolence video after fatal LaGuardia crash triggers outrage in Quebec and hastens succession
MONTREAL: Air Canada’s boss is heading for the exit after a linguistic misstep collided with a national faultline.
Michael Rousseau will retire by October, the airline said on Monday, days after a backlash over his English-only video tribute following a deadly crash involving an Air Canada Express jet in New York. The March 22 collision with a fire truck at LaGuardia Airport killed two pilots and injured dozens, but Rousseau’s message, bookended only by “bonjour” and “merci”, ignited fury in French-speaking Quebec.
Mark Carney welcomed the departure, calling the video a “lack of judgment and lack of compassion”. “It is absolutely essential that his successor is completely bilingual,” he said in Toronto. “He did a good job technically as CEO but as the leader of an organisation you have broader responsibilities. It’s the right decision at the right time.”
The row quickly metastasised. Quebec’s National Assembly voted 92–0 for Rousseau to quit. More than 1,800 complaints flooded the federal languages watchdog. Even Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, a major shareholder, weighed in. “There is no doubt that the video should have been in both official languages.”
The symbolism cut deep. One of the dead pilots, Antoine Forest, was from Quebec. Language, long a live wire in the province, remains entwined with identity and politics, fuelling the separatist Parti Québécois ahead of an election due by October.
Rousseau, 68, had form. In 2021, soon after taking charge, he drew fire for delivering a Montreal speech largely in English and boasting he had lived there for years without speaking French. He apologised then and again last week, saying he was “deeply saddened” his limitations had “diverted attention from the profound grief of the families and the great resilience of Air Canada’s employees.” He had logged more than 300 hours of French lessons since taking the helm in February 2021.
Operationally, his tenure was steadier. He steered Air Canada through the pandemic and its messy aftermath, though labour tensions, most notably a four-day cabin crew strike, dogged the recovery. Shares slipped more than 2 per cent after the news before trimming losses to about 1.2 per cent on the Toronto exchange.
The airline, bound by the Official Languages Act to serve customers in both English and French, said it is accelerating a succession plan already under way, with candidates to be judged in part on their French. Analysts say the next chief must pair operational discipline with strategic clarity amid fuel volatility, labour costs and fierce competition.
A dual crisis—metal on tarmac in New York and politics at home—has now claimed its most senior scalp. In Canada’s flag carrier, competence got Rousseau far. In the end, fluency finished the job.
