John Lewis’ Christmas ad reaches 10 million more viewers

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Published on 20 December 2013

A week after its initial launch, department store John Lewis added a new dimension to their Christmas TV advert, after a frosty reception from the UK’s deaf community and largest deaf charity Action on Hearing Loss.

One in six people across the UK (over 10 million) have hearing loss yet John Lewis’ original £7 million masterpiece did not include full subtitles, preventing the millions of viewers who rely on this function to enjoy the advert’s full sentiment and Lily Allen soundtrack.

Action on Hearing Loss, in response to complaints from members and supporters who were missing out on the much talked-about advert, contacted John Lewis via Twitter - receiving a response within minutes. Marketing Manager for Brand at John Lewis, Kirsty Rockey, said, “As soon as this was brought to our attention, we acted as quickly as possible to get this rectified. We’re pleased the option to have subtitles is now in place.”

Less than a week after being contacted by the charity, John Lewis re-released their Christmas advert with full subtitles. Paul Breckell, Action on Hearing Loss’ Chief Executive, added, “We are delighted with John Lewis’ quick response: subtitling of lyrics may seem trivial to some, but our members tell us that music - be it carols, Bing Crosby or Lily Allen - is one of the things they miss most at Christmas time. It’s wonderful that people can now enjoy this piece of the festivities with their families - and we’re calling on other retailers to follow suit. As the UK’s largest deaf charity, we’re working flat out offering practical and emotional support to ensure people with hearing loss have the best possible Christmas this year.”

John Lewis’ cartoon was voted mums’ favourite Christmas advert in a recent Netmums poll, with Marks & Spencer’s star-studded fantasy second and the Morrisons advert, featuring Ant and Dec, coming in third. All are available with full television subtitles.