John Lewis names Saatchi & Saatchi as new ad agency

The John Lewis Partnership has revealed Saatchi & Saatchi as its advertising agency, replacing Adam&EveDDB who worked with the brand for 14 years.

Saatchi & Saatchi will take over all brand and advertising activity for John Lewis and Waitrose from this summer, notably its highly anticipated Christmas campaigns, as well as the pan-partnership brand loyalty programme launching next year.

Adam&eveDDB has one last campaign due for John Lewis, which will be showcased this summer. With its launch, Charlotte Lock, customer director for John Lewis and pan-partnership, told Marketing Week she hopes the relationship can “go out on a high”, as she emphasised the “enormous stores of gratitude” she has for the outgoing agency.

Lock says the pitch process, which began in February and was supported by Oystercatchers, “showcased the extraordinary talents of our UK creative industries” as well as a “deep affection” for its brands. However, it was Saatchi & Saatchi that secured the coveted account.

‘The right strategy for the future’: John Lewis’s top marketer on what comes next“As well as sharp strategic thinking and creative excellence, Saatchi & Saatchi’s culture, commitment to inclusion and social impact makes them a great fit for JLP,” she adds. “We’re very excited about what we’ll achieve together.”

Likewise, Waitrose customer director, Nathan Ansell, believes the incoming agency has “demonstrated a phenomenal capability and ability to ‘lift the lid’ on what makes Waitrose special in a dynamic, modern and compelling way”.

“We’re very much looking forward to building on our existing brand strengths – quality, value and sustainability – as well as our recent successful Food to Feel Good About and New Lower Prices activity to further grow the Waitrose brand,” he adds.

John Lewis Partnership insists transformation plan ‘on track’ despite £234m loss

Sarah Jenkins, managing director and Saatchi & Saatchi, says the agency is “honoured” to be taking on the account as the company “accelerates into a new and exciting next chapter”.

“The John Lewis Partnership is simply one of the most important organisations in British business right now. A business born from purpose, building for the future, and wanting to do that in a way that truly services all their customers – old and new,” she adds

The appointment comes following a rocky period for the partnership, as it focuses on its long-term transformation plan while coming up against an uncertain climate. The business made a £234m loss in 2022, however it has insisted its turnaround is “on track”.

Indeed, Lock told Marketing Week the business has had a good start to the year.

“In February/March we saw an 11% footfall increase year on year across our shops, with 20 million customers across the two brands – 800,000 more than last year – who spent over £12bn with us. It’s been a really good start to our financial year and a really strong response to our investment in price,” she said.