John Lewis - Always A Woman

'Never knowingly undersold' has been a part of John Lewis' brand positioning for 80 years. At the end of last year, the retailer's marketing director Craig Inglis took a decision to relaunch the proposition to give it greater resonance with consumers.

The culmination of the relaunch campaign was this epic and emotional television ad, created by Adam & Eve. The 60-second spot was designed to reinforce John Lewis' long-standing commitment to deliver fair prices, excellent customer service and the highest quality across a wide range of products.

The execution charts a woman's life from infancy until she becomes a grandmother by depicting all the key events in which the retailer has played a part.

It is accompanied by a cover of the Billy Joel song She's Always A Woman, performed by Fyfe Dangerfield, lead singer of The Guillemots.

Craig Inglis, John Lewis' director of marketing, said: 'While we expected the ad to have an impact, we have been overwhelmed by the volume of responses and how deeply it has affected people.'

The academy judges were lavish in their praise. Peter Holmes of Telefonica, said: 'John Lewis nails the brand's longevity, simplicity and tone of voice brilliantly.'

Gerry Farrell at Leith added: 'John Lewis is seamless, effortless and emotional. It's the most talked-about (and wept-over) ad this year, and it was directed by the peerless Dougal Wilson, who turns everything he touches into gold.'

We have been overwhelmed by the volume of responses and how deeply it has affected people

Craig Inglis
Director of Marketing
John Lewis

• Client Craig Inglis, Marketing Director, John Lewis
• Brief To refresh John Lewis customers' perceptions of 'Never knowingly undersold'
• Ad Agency Adam & Eve
• Creative Team Ben Tollett, Emer Stamp, Matt Woolner, Steve Wioland
• Production Blink
• Director Dougal Wilson

Other ads on the podium

Match.com - Accidental Duet

This campaign is about reinforcing Match's position as market leader by getting back to the heart of what the category is all about: love. The brief was to show that, from the tiniest shared moment through to the boldest, most romantic gesture, love is something we understand through love stories. It shows us a boy and a girl who have entered a music shop. The boy picks up a guitar; the girl starts to play an electric piano. The song he begins to sing sounds strangely familiar to the girl - she's able to pick it up where he leaves off and soon, out of nowhere, they're singing a duet. This ad (which has been running in tandem with a second execution featuring a similar accidental encounter and entanglement in a shoe shop) seeks to explore the nature of the moment when two people just know they've found each other - and it showcases an original song commissioned by Match.

Road Safety (Department for Transport) - Named Riders

This new campaign for the Department for Transport aims to tackle the number of motorcyclists in road casualties by getting car drivers to think about the person underneath the helmet. Supported by radio, online and outdoor activity, this spot shows motorcyclists with flashing signs attached to their bikes. These show the riders' names and brief descriptions such as "Tom, shy, retiring type" and "Nick and Helen, met online" - and we witness how thinking of motorcyclists as people can make drivers more considerate. For instance, a driver is about to pull out of a T-junction but stops when he sees "Dave, new dad" coming along and waves to him as he passes by. This campaign marks a departure for the THINK! initiative and was produced in response to research showing that car drivers are more likely to notice motorcyclists if they personally know one. The payoff line is: "Think bike. Think biker."

Also shortlisted for March/April 2010

Magners - Catch

Magners redefined the cider category when it launched in 2005 and its "over ice" format made it an instant success. However, as other brands entered the fray, Magners felt it had to establish why it was deserving of its premium price. So the brief was to produce a campaign that informed drinkers of the craft and dedication that goes into the making of Magners, but also an idea that would be unique to the brand. Thus the setting of this film in Clonmel, Tipperary, where Magners is made - and the notion that the local cricket team is unbeatable. This, it turns out, is because they're all good at catching - a skill they've acquired by waiting for apples to drop from their trees rather than picking them prematurely. This serves to remind us of Magners' determination to use only the best-quality apples - and the spot's whimsicality is captured in the endline: "There's method in the Magners."

Warburtons - Take Off

The brief here was to underline the almost heroic nature of the care that the Warburtons family dedicates to the baking of its bread - and the idea that it's this that has ensured the freshest, best-quality bread is still delivered every day of the year. The idea has been brought to life in a TV campaign that takes an ordinary scene - the departure of the bread delivery vans from a Warburtons bakery - and exaggerates it, creating a parody of an emotional scene in a Hollywood feature film. It shows workers gathering to witness the vans mustering like aircraft on a wartime airfield before being waved into action by ground crew. It's backed by a print campaign showing real Warburtons staff in a similarly epic light - and this film features a cameo appearance by the company chairman, Jonathan Warburton. The strategy is summed up by the strapline: "Warburtons: we care because our name's on it."