John Lewis and Waitrose | 'Edgar the Dragon Christmas Ad'
https://www.youtube.com/embed/7xGW_M0O4xI
Message: 'Show them you care' the message is about the dragon wanting to be part of something yet he keeps ruining things. It is shown that he is misunderstood and has good intentions. It has sub-messages like bullying, exclusion and shame. Good. Of course, it's how these connotations are used in relation to the brand/product, which gives them purpose. See my suggestions about this below. Messaging: the ad seeks to communicate value about the John Lewis and Waitrose brands. In doing so, its messaging seeks to ascribe the attributes of a caring + sincere friendship between a young girl and her socially-inept and misunderstood but well- intentioned dragon - to the brands. The relationship between the ad's two protagonists (the dragon and the girl) talks about understanding and perseverance - and perhaps most significantly, the cultural myth of 'the power of friendship' http:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_of_friendship i.e. that our actions/ circumstances are fatalistically predetermined (overseen, controlled) by a benevolent force - who ensures that 'good always triumphs' (seemingly, especially at Christmas time). The narrative is set in a seemingly, fairytale land/past - one where 'mystical beings' such as dragons exist. In this way, the attributes of magic + fairytale have positive cultural connotations (especially, around Christmas time) - the allusion strongly implies that the John Lewis and Waitrose brands are also magical i.e. they are places where 'fantasy/dreams are possible' (another cultural myth). This is further extended through the protagonists being young/children - alluding to the cultural myth/romantic notion of 'childhood free-thinking, imagination', which imagines that we are all born with a boundless imagination and an endless reservoir of goodwill - that we are wholly innocent, pure, honest and authentic (all before this is inevitably, lost as we become adults - because as we know, adults are none of these things)! Then as the ad shows, it is the young girl and her fumbling friend - whose uniqueness she understands and who everyone else comes to appreciate.
