Making Excitable Edgar

The John Lewis (and Waitrose) Christmas ad has returned to fine form this year – largely thanks to a clumsy but lovable dragon called Edgar. We speak to Untold Studios about bringing the star of the show to life, and the secret to a successful festive ad

This year’s haul of Christmas ads have, once again, proven to be rather hit and miss. We’ve had a Dickensian tale of redemption from Sainsbury’s to mark its 150th birthday, M&S going jumpers for, um, jumpers, and even a brilliantly bizarre miracle ham courtesy of Aldi Australia. Following John Lewis’ Elton John-themed damp squib last year and a tough couple of years for the high street in general, as seen with John Lewis and Waitrose’s decision to collectively rebrand under the John Lewis Partnership, there was always going to be a question mark over whether they could pull it out of the bag for 2019.

Thankfully for the Christmas lovers among us, the retailers’ first joint festive campaign is a certified heartwarmer. Created by adam&eveDDB and directed by John Lewis favourite Dougal Wilson, the two-and-a-half-minute film tells the story of a fire-incontinent dragon called Edgar and his best friend Ava. Aside from the essential Christmassy ingredients such as a winter wonderland backdrop, a sumptuous looking festive feast, and a subtly schmaltzy soundtrack courtesy of Bastille, the thing that ultimately steals the ad – and our hearts – is Edgar.