It’s time for the annual John Lewis Christmas advert and this year the story is about a young boy and his friendship with a big blue creature called Moz the Monster. Watch the short film and discuss the questions below with a partner or group:
- What is the advert promoting?
- What kind of store is John Lewis? Have you ever been there? If not, would you like to shop there? Why? / Why not?
- Tell the story – what happens? What is the problem? How does it get resolved?
- What is the purpose of the film? How successful is it?
- Why is there a monster in the film?
- Why is the monster called Moz?
- What is the significance of light in the film?
- Is it right to get excited about a commercial from John Lewis at Christmas?
- Is Moz real? If not, what does he represent?
- What is the song called and who sings it?
- How well do the lyrics of the song relate to the film?
- Being afraid that there’s a ‘monster under the bed’ is a standard theme in children’s literature and culture in the UK. Do you have this tradition, or something similar / different in your culture?
- How well does the advert represent the spirit of Christmas?
- How could the advert be improved?
- Describe this advert in five words.
- How far do you agree with this analysis of the film from two YouTube commenters: ‘The little boy is scared of the dark. This results in him imagining the monster. When the light is on, the monster goes because the boy is not scared anymore.’ / ‘The monster really likes playing with the boy, but it’s making the boy too tired. So the monster sacrifices his own happiness to make sure the boy sleeps at night.’
- Are you moved by this advert? Why? If not, why not?
- In what way(s) is the advert ‘Christmassy’? In what way(s) is it secular? Is it more secular than Christmassy, or vice versa?
- Are you offended by this advert? If yes, explain why.
- What is the connection between capitalism and Christmas?
- Is Christmas too commercialised?
- Have you done all your Christmas shopping yet? Will / would you use John Lewis?
- Were you afraid of the dark as a child? If yes, how did you get over your fear of the dark?
- Did you have an imaginary friend as a child? If yes, tell me about it. What purpose do imaginary friends serve?
- How will kids react to the film? How will parents’ reactions differ? Why?
- What special Christmas adverts do you remember?
- Should a new advert be an event?
- Why don’t we see even one shot of a John Lewis store in the film?
- Is a monster a right and proper symbol for a traditional Christmas story?
…and finally!
30. Does the advert succeed in getting you to spend money at John Lewis?
Image courtesy: http://johnlewispresscentre.com/imagelibrary