John Lewis melts hearts with joyful new advert about young boy embracing his inner Stevie Nicks

John Lewis

John Lewis is celebrating the joy of self-expression with a new home insurance ad that sees a happy young boy embrace his inner Steve Nicks.

“Let Life Happen” shows a boy dressed up in his mother’s clothes, jewellery and make-up as he gleefully dances round the house to the iconic Stevie Nicks hit “Edge of Seventeen”.

The one-boy tornado throws his heart and soul into his performance, smashing vases, spilling paint, toppling lamps and generally leaving a trail of accidental destruction in his wake.

The video ends with the boy dramatically throwing himself onto the family sofa, with the tagline: “Let life happen.”

Created for John Lewis by Adam&Eve/DDB, the playful ad speaks to every gender non-conforming adult who was once a child sneaking into their parents’ closet.

It’ll also resonate with every parent dismayed by the everyday detritus and destruction that comes with having kids, particularly the more creative ones.

“We wanted to inject joy, freedom and humour into this campaign,” Claire Pointon, customer director for John Lewis, said in a statement to Ad Week.

“The story we landed on fulfils this, with the idea that when you have John Lewis’ Home Insurance with the option of accidental damage cover, you don’t need to worry anymore, you can just ‘let life happen’.

“The ad playfully highlights the things that could happen as Reggie dances around, freely expressing himself, from knocked vases and picture frames, to paint on the carpet and nail varnish along the bannisters.”

John Lewis is well known for its heartwarming ad campaigns, with the launch of its annual Christmas ad becoming synonymous with the season.

“Let Life Happen” is a continuation of a home insurance advertising campaign the retailer has been running for the past five years.

One of its most beloved ads from 2015 features a little girl dancing with unbridled passion to another gay icon, Elton John.