John Lewis pulls advert starring boy in a dress after FCA warning
Some people observed that the home insurance in question only covers accidental, not deliberate, damage.
Words: Jamie Tabberer; picture: John Lewis
John Lewis has pulled its headline-generating advert featuring a boy in a dress after receiving a warning from the Financial Conduct Authority.
Some people observed that the home insurance in question only covers accidental, not deliberate, damage.
The retailer has since clarified: “”We would like to clarify that accidental damage cover is available as an add-on to John Lewis’ new home contents insurance product and only covers accidental (not deliberate) damage.”
The clip – which shows child actor Reggie Parker raising hell in a family home to Stevie Nicks’ hit ‘Edge of Seventeen’ – debuted to considerable backlash earlier this month.
Hitting back at online abuse and newspaper columnist diatribes, Reggie’s mum Sam said in an interview: “I’ve read comments from people with old-fashioned mindsets who don’t want to see a boy in a dress.
“I’ve seen ridiculous comments saying his ‘behaviour’ is destructive and spoilt – he is acting in an advert for home insurance.”
She added: “What disgusts me are complaints saying the advert is sexualising Reggie, with lipstick and ‘provocative’ dance moves.'”
The ad has reportedly drawn 300 complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority.
“Never our intention”
The retailer issued a statement about the ad yesterday, with a rep saying [as per The Guardian]: “You may have seen our ‘Let Life Happen’ advert for our new home contents insurance offering, which ran between 11 and 27 October 2021.
“This advert has been withdrawn because the Financial Conduct Authority considers the content to be potentially misleading and could cause customers to be confused about John Lewis’s new home contents insurance offering. This was absolutely never our intention.
Please see a statement on our latest Home Insurance campaign below: pic.twitter.com/n07OClgqGn
— John Lewis & Partners (@JohnLewisRetail) October 27, 2021
“The ‘Let Life Happen’ John Lewis home insurance advert was created to show a joyful depiction of a young actor getting carried away with his performance, oblivious of the unintentional consequences of his actions.
“We would like to clarify that accidental damage cover is available as an add-on to John Lewis’ new home contents insurance product and only covers accidental (not deliberate) damage.
“We have decided to contact every customer who purchased our new home contents insurance cover from 11 October to 31 October to confirm they understood these points and are happy with their purchase.”
An FCA spokesperson commented: “Financial services firms’ marketing must be clear, fair and not misleading.”
On Friday 22 October 2021, John Lewis provided Attitude with the following updated statement:
“Reggie is a brilliantly talented young actor and we’re so sorry that the advert we created with him has been subjected to negative comments online. We have been speaking to Sam, Reggie’s mum, to make sure we support her and Reggie with anything they need, as well as reassuring them of the many positive comments from customers who love the advert.
“At John Lewis, we believe in children having fun and that’s why we chose this playful storyline for our latest advert. Reggie portrayed this wonderfully and simply shows a young boy getting carried away with his dramatic performance.”
The Attitude Awards issue is out now.
Subscribe in print and get your first three issues for just £1 each, or digitally for just over £1.50 per issue.
