Why the new John Lewis ad is dividing opinion at PC HQ
The first time I saw the new ad for John Lewis, it brought a tear to my eye. Not because it was beautifully shot, which it most certainly is. Not because I wished I’d come up with the idea. And not even because, as yet, we don’t have a John Lewis store in Northern Ireland. No, it made my lip quiver and my eyes moist because it made me think about the inevitable death of all the women in my family: my mother, my wife and even my two young daughters. Now I know that death eventually comes to us all and it’s something we have to deal with. Last week I read a quote that went something like this: “From the moment we are born we are all dying one minute at a time” but I found that inspirational and life-affirming. It made me feel that I had to urgently go out and make the most of all the minutes I have left. But the John Lewis ad simply made me feel sad and a bit upset. I hated them for reminding me about the brief nature of human existence.
