John Lewis unveils Facebook shoppable ad, try before you buy experience

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Sep 22, 2017

Department store chain John Lewis has become the first UK retailer to try out Facebook’s new 360 degree Facebook ad format that allows shoppers to view goods online from every angle in real settings rather than on a store shelf or against a blank background. It is also boosting its Home offer with an innovative try before you buy experience in thre eof its stores.

The new Facebook move is part of the company’s ‘Only Here’ campaign that focuses on the exclusive products sold at the chain and online across categories from fashion to home. For now, the tech is being used to promote its interiors product, although this could be expanded as John Lewis works through any early teething troubles and gets ready for its mega-spend Christmas campaign later this year.

The new ads, which can direct users to the website to buy with just one click, use footage shot on video with multiple cameras in a London house filled with John Lewis products.

Eva Bojtos, senior manager for social marketing, said demand for immersive content is growing fast and many Facebook users (51%) are interested in VR.

Users can touch their device screen to tilt or drag the video and to move around inside the house, with the company aiming to give customers a more ‘real’ experience when shopping for products.

Also boosting its Home offer and bringing store products into a more real-life setting, John Lewis has recently launched The Residence, the first ever fully furnished in-store apartment, offering customers a try-before-you-buy experience.

At John Lewis Oxford Street, Cambridge and Liverpool, shoppers can now stay overnight and host private dining experiences, again with everything in The Residence for sale and exclusive to John Lewis as part of the Only Here campaign.

The retailer said that it realises “that jumping on a bed, sitting at a dining table or trying out a sofa for size is never quite the same in a shop as doing these things at home. The expert Residence team will be on hand to help customers shop for their lifestyle and will encourage them to touch, rearrange, sit and play with product.”

Each Residence includes an expansive living and dining area, a fully furnished bedroom and the Oxford Street flagship store also features a fitted kitchen (with matching wine cooler), a study and an indoor terrace overlooking Cavendish Square.