The viral 2018 John Lewis holiday commercial from the UK department stars Elton John, who performs Your Song, as well as revisits moments from his career and childhood. As a companion piece to the advertisement, John Lewis created an in-store experience that lets shoppers go behind the scenes of the Elton John Christmas ad.
The in-store experience includes pianos, a recording studio and even items for dressing up and truly immersing oneself in the scenes. Additionally, people are able to pick up merchandise from a pop-up shop selling items such as Elton John t-shirts and vinyl records.
Although there is a ton of work that goes into the making of shiny Christmas commercials, displays, events and products, consumers are rarely presented with a glimpse of behind the scenes, which makes this seasonal in-store experience a standout.
Why This Trend Is Growing
- In-store Experiences
- The trend of creating immersive in-store experiences allows businesses to offer a unique, memorable experience to customers.
- Pop-up Shops
- Pop-up shops allow companies to experiment with new products and concepts in a low-risk, temporary setting.
- Companion Pieces
- Creating companion pieces to advertising campaigns can extend the life of the campaign and provide additional touchpoints for customers.
Industries Being Reshaped
- Retail
- Retailers can utilize in-store experiences and pop-up shops to drive foot traffic and increase sales.
- Music Entertainment
- Music entertainment companies can create companion pieces like in-store experiences to monetize their content.
- Advertising
- Creating immersive experiences and companion pieces can help advertising agencies to offer more value to their clients, while extending the life of campaigns.
