Creating retail theatre for shoppers
The brief
Project aim: Encourage footfall in John Lewis stores across the seasonal period while increasing sales of seasonal items.
John Lewis & Partners is a chain of high-end department stores, operating throughout Great Britain (and beyond).
Objectives:
Plan and design complimentary in-store activations for customers
Deliver activations nationwide for John Lewis
Impact
1,880+ positive engagements
…with each illustration gifted to customers since 2017. On the Moz the Monster tour – alone – Buttercrumble produced over 320 portraits!
Sold-out merchandise
We supported the magic of 2017’s Christmas advertisement with in-store activities. This resulted in the sell-out of Moz the Monster merchandise.
Bolstered brand reputation
Our complimentary activities were visible in-store and on social media, promoting John Lewis’ generosity to a global scale.
Spotlight on: Moz the Monster
Buttercrumble initially partnered with John Lewis to celebrate their hotly anticipated 2017 Christmas campaign. Buttercrumble duo, Abigail and Chloe, introduced festive retail theatre through the power of illustration to 11 stores. Joyful customers were invited to take a breather from shopping to be surprised with bespoke illustrations that captured them with Moz the Monster. It was a truly unique and interactive experience for all involved!
Since then, Buttercrumble has collaborated with John Lewis annually to celebrate the holidays through illustration experiences.
Why create retail theatre?
These stylish and bespoke portraits enabled us to engage with the shop's audience. The experience stimulated their appreciation for John Lewis' Moz the Monster campaign, brand values and offerings.
Customers truly treasured this special John Lewis Christmas gift.
The portrait process
Customers were greeted and invited to select one-of-three specially designed portrait papers by Buttercrumble. Each featured Moz the Monster.
Each customer sat with Buttercrumble for 10 minutes whilst being captured as an illustration.
Buttercrumble presented the portrait to the customer in a clear gift bag for them to take home and cherish.
Theming the campaign
Since Moz the Monster, we’ve created themed illustrations based on other Christmas campaigns, such as Elton John and Edgar the Dragon. This helps John Lewis market their in-store merchandise in a creative way.
“Thank you so much for our illustrations I love all of them and I’m sure Moz will too! I hope you have an amazing Christmas and a very happy new year”
Customer video of queue at John Lewis Leeds
“We are so pleased that we stopped and said hello to the lovely and very talented Abigail and Chloe at John Lewis, Cheadle. The portraits they created our four-year-old twins are just amazing and something that we will treasure for ever. Thank you so much and good luck for the rest of the tour.”
Audience participation
Moz the Monster's Socks
Whilst customers were illustrated, we asked participants to write their Christmas wish on Moz’s "spare socks".
These socks were taken to each store and displayed at the illustration station alongside Moz.
Why?
This activity kept younger customers engaged and entertained whilst waiting for their portrait. It also added festive magic to the experience.
“Thanks for coming into John Lewis Sheffield today. I enjoyed the drawing of me - the guy with the Christmas tree tie on. Keep up the great work.”
Where?
During the tour, we visited 11 different northern and Scottish John Lewis stores across the UK.
These included: Leeds, York, Sheffield, Liverpool, Chester, Cheadle, Trafford, Newcastle upon Tyne, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Glasgow.
Reception
This Moz the Monster illustration experience made an excellent talking point amongst customers, with many sharing their images across multiple social media channels. This elevated John Lewis' brand awareness and placed them in the hearts and minds of their customers who matter.
“Thanks for the amazing drawing of my son Ammar yesterday. We bought a frame and it’s now on his bedroom wall. Now, my other two kids are wishing they came as well. Keep up the good work. Thanks again you made my sons day. Priceless.”