John Lewis pulls ‘misleading’ home insurance advert

Elly Blake28 October 2021

John Lewis has been forced to pull its home insurance advert amid claims it could confuse customers.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) found the advert, which show a boy in a dress leaving a trail of destruction through the house, potentially misleading for customers.

The TV commercial, which was broadcast for the first time this month, drew more than 300 complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority.

The advert showed a young boy in heels and make-up leaving kicking over household items and generally causing chaos, ending with the slogan “let life happen”.

Some viewers said John Lewis was “woke agenda-pushing” with the boy’s outfit.

Others said it showed the willful destruction of a family home, after the boy is seen kicking off his shoes at a lamp and throwing an umbrella aside - causing a vase to smash.

John Lewis’ home insurance only covers accidental, not deliberate, damage.

The department store said it was “never their intention” to mislead customers and has pulled the ad.

The retailer said the “Let Life Happen” advert was created to show “a joyful depiction of a young actor getting carried away with his performance, oblivious to the unintentional consequences of his actions”.

But the FCA has said that it considers the advert to be “potentially misleading and could cause customers to be confused about John Lewis’s new home contents insurance”.

John Lewis said it would contact every customer who had bought its new home insurance since the advert was first broadcast to confirm they understand the point.

An FCA spokesman said: “Financial services firms’ marketing must be clear, fair and not misleading.”

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