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Original poster

The John Lewis advert for home insurance

221 replies

DartmoorChef · 13/10/2021 19:33

Surely I can't be the only person to find this advert absolutely terrible. Yay let's put a boy in a dress and make up and be so woke... and let him completely trash the house while mummy looks on indulgently because apparently home insurance covers wilful damage these days...

If I had gone on the rampage around the house like that... my backside would have been so sore I wouldn't have say down for a week, nor would I have been allowed out or given spending money until I was 35 Grin

Seriously though, this has to be one of the most absurd adverts I've ever seen and yes I know by posting about it, that is probably the desired effect but it actually puts me off shopping at John Lewis or using their services.

Yanbu - ridiculous advert
Yabu - it's fine and a bit of fun

OP posts:
Hugoslavia · 14/10/2021 15:09

Riled

notacooldad · 14/10/2021 15:12

Also, so many people here offended by it being misleading in terms of insurance coverage. It makes me wonder whether they are really that bothered by that issue, or have first been ruled by a boy wearing makeup in a dress
Lads wearing dresses isnt that different anymore.
What is rubbish about the advert is the deliberate destruction of the home. Lollaping from one to another trashing every ornament or picture is not ok.

KittenKong · 14/10/2021 15:13

Nope - it’s a kid trashing his mums bedroom, the careering through the house, knocking things and throwing them for the hell of it. Then knocking down his sisters paints while his sister and mum just watch. Little sod.

Remember, most of us have kids, most of who have dressed up and messed around. Very few have just let them trash the house.

SickAndTiredAgain · 14/10/2021 15:20

@Hugoslavia

Also, so many people here offended by it being misleading in terms of insurance coverage. It makes me wonder whether they are really that bothered by that issue, or have first been ruled by a boy wearing makeup in a dress.
I couldn’t care less that he’s wearing a dress and make up. I find it annoying that JL are on social media trying to sell his behaviour as just kids being kids, when actually he’s being a brat and being horrible to his sister, and I do think it’s misleading. It’s not so much hyperbole to be obviously exaggerated, but does show a situation that they wouldn’t cover. It wouldn’t have been that hard to do an advert which showed actual accidental damage from kids just being kids, they should have just done that (and he could still have worn a dress).

I don’t hate it, I’m not riled up, I’m not outraged, I just think it’s a poor advert.

KittenKong · 14/10/2021 15:22

I liked the ad for a kids medicine when they have pants on their heads or are lying on the sofa with their feet in the air... that’s ‘kids being kids’. If a child acted in such a destructive way (and by the expressions of the mum and sister, they didn’t look surprised), I’d be calling a child psych.

KittenKong · 14/10/2021 15:32

Actually, this has got me thinking about when I was a kid. My sister used to use a male alter ego for herself when we played (she always had to have ‘boys’ toys, clothes, haircut etc), and she gave me a ‘boy’ character too. We would play - soldiers, explorers, space travel... NEVER did we ‘act like boys’ a la John Lewis (destructive little bullies).

Did we do ‘boying’ wrong then?

Biffatcrafts · 14/10/2021 15:50

What a totally inappropriate, misleading, tone deaf advert. How can JL possibly think this is acceptable? So completely wrong on so many levels my head hurts after watching it.

Total fail JL !

Biffatcrafts · 14/10/2021 15:54

Forgot to say, IMO, (FWIW) that advert should be taken off TV and all other broadcasting channels ASAP.

GellerYeller · 14/10/2021 16:45

JL must have had a lot of comments as they've tweeted a statement about the boy just having a good time and offering accidentally damage cover or words to that effect.

SickAndTiredAgain · 14/10/2021 16:49

@GellerYeller

JL must have had a lot of comments as they've tweeted a statement about the boy just having a good time and offering accidentally damage cover or words to that effect.
Their statement includes the sentence “he is not wilfully damaging his home and is unaware of the unintentional consequences of his actions.”

Seems a bit of a stretch given he deliberately throws paint on the floor. That statement applies much better to any damage caused by the girl in their previous ad, where she was just in her own world dancing.

KittenKong · 14/10/2021 16:51

Accidental? Eh, how exactly was any of that accidental (especially the catching the eye of his sister, looking her dead in the eye then deliberately tipping over her paints onto the carpet). Maybe the person rubbing the SM feeds hasn’t seen the ad.

KittenKong · 14/10/2021 16:51

*running

KittenKong · 14/10/2021 16:53

Maybe there’s an extended version where the sister had had enough and pounces on her brother, fists flying, and they accidentally bump the table in the melee and knock over and break a vase? Or maybe knock gormless mum out of a window?

CorrBlimeyGG · 14/10/2021 16:58

I thought it was funny. Its an advert, lighthearted humour, imagine getting your knickers in a twist over something so trivial.

mustlovegin · 14/10/2021 17:04

Maybe the person rubbing the SM feeds hasn’t seen the ad

Yes, and maybe he/she doesn't even work for JLP

KittenKong · 14/10/2021 17:04

Your kids must have fun in your house then.

KittenKong · 14/10/2021 17:05

@mustlovegin

Maybe the person rubbing the SM feeds hasn’t seen the ad

Yes, and maybe he/she doesn't even work for JLP

I would assume an agency.
HowardNoir · 14/10/2021 17:10

I hope their Christmas advert features the same boy with a group of friends dressed up in drag. It's always nice to see that simple adverts still ruffle the feathers of snowflakes.

KittenKong · 14/10/2021 17:12

They are the snowflakes surely? To prove it - just use the wrong name or pronoun and watch the literal distruction.

Chachachawoo · 14/10/2021 17:16

@CaveMum

It’s a giant metaphor for the current situation - the male gets to rampage and destroy at will, including his sister’s work while the mother looks on appearing utterly worn down by it all.
Agreed. The portrayal of a compliant/dull sister and the gormless mother really irritated me. Hideous and irritating advert.
ZombieEthel · 14/10/2021 17:16

@HowardNoir

I hope their Christmas advert features the same boy with a group of friends dressed up in drag. It's always nice to see that simple adverts still ruffle the feathers of snowflakes.
You've missed the point. But you knew that anyway.
Lovelydovey · 14/10/2021 17:23

I suspect this would fall under ASA guidelines as not sure such deliberate disruption would not be covered by home insurance, or at least would massively raise premiums.

mustlovegin · 14/10/2021 17:26

I suspect this would fall under ASA guidelines

Some posters are already reporting it to ASA

MsFogi · 14/10/2021 17:32

We have JL house insurance. I will ensure we move at the next renewal - I refuse to support this bollocks.

hangrylady · 14/10/2021 17:32

If a boy or a man puts a dress on he can do what the hell he likes OP didn't you know? It's fine for them to trample all over women and girls, he's in a dress! YANBU, if my son did that to my house he'd be in so much trouble I wouldn't care how 'fabulous' he was.

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