The regalia of being a national treasure weighs John Lewis down
Far from being beneficial, the retailer’s perceived status a British institution limits its ambition – just look at what Britishness stands for today.
John Lewis Partnership awarded its advertising account to Saatchi & Saatchi earlier this month and it seemed almost like another coronation. First to capture the solemnity of the occasion was Saatchi chief creative officer Franki Goodwin, with her observation that “these brands” – John Lewis and grocery retailer Waitrose – “are important to the fabric of our nation”.
Swift to endorse that sentiment was former Thinkbox chair Tess Alps, who tweeted some congratulatory counsel to the Saatchi leadership: “Look after our national treasure please.” Meanwhile, retail guru Mary Portas had already set the tone with her contention, in an open letter to John Lewis chair Sharon White, that what we are talking about here is no less than “part of our collective cultural identity”.
