Register

    Top Spot of the Week: adam&eveDDB, Director Mark Molloy Form A Yuletide Friendship With An “Unexpected Guest” For John Lewis

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments2805 Views

    This two-minute Christmas commercial from U.K. department store chain John Lewis & Partners is a joyful story of friendship, which celebrates the magic of holiday moments experienced for the first time. Titled “Unexpected Guest,” the piece created by adam&eveDDB in London and directed by Mark Molloy of production house SMUGGLER follows the story of Nathan, a 14-year-old boy on his way home from school who spots a flashing light in the distance and chases it to the woods beside his home; it is here that he encounters 14-year-old space traveler, Skye and her ship from another galaxy. The ice is broken as Nathan adapts his own Christmas jumpsuit by adding a star and twinkly lights–just like Skye’s. They form a friendship and we watch as Nathan helps her to discover the magic of her first Christmas. 

    We then see Nathan introduce Skye to some of his favorite Christmas experiences, bringing her fairy lights from his family’s tree; amazingly she is able to power them herself with her super powers. After a festive meal with family and friends, Nathan brings Skye a mince pie, and she delights at trying this for the first time. Together, their friendship grows while watching Christmas films and playing in the snow. 

    The time comes when Skye has fixed her ship and must return to her home planet and the pair are to be separated. It is a bittersweet, heartwarming moment where Nathan gifts her his Christmas jumper, the same one he was wearing when they first met, and the pair say goodbye just before she boards her ship. As Skye leaves, she disappears into the night sky and leaves a twinkling star on a Christmas tree in the distance. Watching all through her eyes reminds us of the magic of a first Christmas, and the moments that matter. 

    This year’s soundtrack to the film was performed by up-and-coming British talent Lola Young, a 20 year old singer-songwriter from South London. The track ‘Together in Electric Dreams’, originally released by Philip Oakey and Giorgio Moroder in 1984, was chosen as a celestial complement to the advert. 

    REGISTRATION REQUIRED to access this page.

    Already registered? LOGIN
    Don't have an account? REGISTER

    Registration is FREE and FAST.

    The limited access duration has come to an end. (Access was allowed until: 2021-11-06)
    Credits

    Client John Lewis & Partners Agency adam&eveDDB, London Richard Brim, chief creative officer; Matt Gay, Feargal Ballance, creative directors/copywriters/art directors; Patrick McClelland, copywriter; Sally Pritchett, executive producer; Clio McLeary, integrated producer; Claire Peacock, assistant producer; Ben Sharpe, head of integrated production; Martin Beverley, chief strategy officer. Production SMUGGLER Mark Molloy, director; Ewen Brown, producer; Marketa Husecka, production manager; Greig Fraser, DP; Nathan Parker, production designer; Rosa Dias, costume designer; Michele Baylis, hair & makeup artist; Ali Fearnley, casting. Editorial Work Editorial Stewart Reeves, editor; Rain Keene, edit assistant; Ellie McNaughtan, editing producer. Postproduction/VFX nineteentwenty, London Bill McNamara, VFX supervisor; Ludo Fealy, 2D VFX supervisor; Ben Thomas, CG VFX supervisor; Jamie Stitson,Adam McHale, Humayun Mirza, Nicole Palucsis, Jessica Hayes, David Ince, Joseph Dymond, Chrys Aldred, Matt Hutchins, 2D artists; Ivan Tomovic, Andrew Maccabe,Alison Stott, James White, Guido Pagotto, Mike Farrar, David Rencsenyi, 3D artists; Emilis Baltrusaitis, Aurelien Ronceray, DMP & environment artists; Anthony Scott, motion graphics; Jake Lunt Davies, Nathan McKenna, concept; KaiVan Beers, colorist; Elliott Ward, color assist; David Keegan, VFX producer. (Toolbox: Maya, Nuke, Nuke Studio, Houdini, Baselight) Capture Surveying, Pudsey, U.K. Philip Anderton, LiDAR scans Music Supervision Leland Music (Abi Leland, Ed Bailie, Toby Williams). Music Track: “Together In Electric Dreams. Philip Oakey, Giorgio Moroder, composers; Lola Young, artist; David Kosten, music producer. Master: Universal Music Group/Island Records. Publishers: BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited (50%) /Warner Chappell North America Limited (50%)

    Media Type:Commercial: Television
    ScreenWork Categories:Commercial
    Screenwork Type:Top Spot
    Video Tags:adam&eveDDBMark MolloySmuggler



    Top Spot of the Week: BBDO, Director Anthony Frattolillo Get “Packing” For The American Red Cross

    Thursday, November 6, 2025

    Once again, this holiday season, BBDO New York and the American Red Cross have launched a campaign underscoring the urgent needs of families disrupted by disasters--something that occurs every eight minutes across the country, over 7,000 times during the
    holidays alone.

    Running on TV and online through December, the campaign include this PSA titled “Packing,” directed by Anthony Frattolillo via One Free Play. The spot begins with a family that appears to be preparing for a trip. But the mood shifts dramatically when it is revealed the reason they are really packing is an imminent wildfire, and that they are evacuating to a Red Cross shelter. The spot ends with a call to action: “They’re relying on us. We’re relying on you. Please donate.”

    BBDO associate creative director Nicole Dombey shared, “I experienced an evacuation as a child, and I’ll never forget the quiet confusion of that moment. As a team, we wanted to capture that mix of innocence and uncertainty families feel in those moments.”
    Director Frattolillo stated, “I’ve packed that same car three times, sat in that same traffic jam, worrying about my safety and the safety of my family, thinking we might not see home again. So when we made this film, I wanted people to feel what that moment is really like, the fear, the uncertainty, and the hope that someone will be there when you need them most.”

    Read More

    MySHOOT Profiles


    Add A Comment