John Lewis' Tornado of a Tiny Dancer Is Really Into Stevie Nicks

Stevie Nicks’ classic-rock raver “Edge of Seventeen” powers some youthful mayhem in a frenetic :60 from John Lewis hyping the British retailer’s latest home insurance offering.

Donning Mom’s duds and slathering on her makeup, a little dude cuts loose to the Reagan-era track.

He makes a huuuuge mess, even spilling and breaking stuff. His little sister looks suitably vexed. But at the end we’re told to “Let life happen.” (La Nicks would approve!)

“We wanted to inject joy, freedom and humor into this campaign,” says John Lewis customer director Claire Pointon in press materials. “The story we landed on fulfills 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.”

adam&eveDDB teamed up with veteran MJZ director Tom Kuntz on the short, and a 9-year-old actor named Reggie righteously rocks in the lead role. (Adorably destructive tiny dancers have long been the rage for John Lewis Insurance.)

The new commercial will run across TV, YouTube, social media and digital OOH screens in the U.K.

UPDATE, 10/28: The spot caused considerable consternation, with some critics claiming that it sexualized kids. Ultimately, John Lewis pulled the commercial amid allegations of misleading claims. Apparently, its insurance policies don’t cover the kind of deliberate damage shown on screen.

CREDITS

Agency: adam&eveDDB
Creative: Mark Shanley

Editing Company: The Whitehouse
Edit Producer: Annabel Bennett
Editor: Russell Icke
Post Production: Untold
Grade: Stefan Sonnonfield @ company3
Post Producers: George Reid, Tom Igglesdon

Audio Post Production: Factory
Audio Engineer: Anthony Moore & Jack Hallett
Audio Producer: Mike

Production Company: MJZ
Director: Tom Kuntz
1st AD: Joe Carter
DOP: Daniel Landin
Managing Director: Helen Kenny
Executive Producer: Lindsay Turnham
Producer: Jacob Swan Hyam
Production Manager: Fatima Zaman
Production Assistant: Amelia Hanbury
Production Designer: Joseph Bennett
Stylist: Rebecca Du Point
Casting Director: Lesley Beastall Casting

Editing Company: The Whitehouse
Edit Producer: Annabel Bennett
Editor: Russell Icke
Post Production: Untold
Grade: Stefan Sonnonfield @ company3
Post Producers: George Reid, Tom Igglesdon
Creative Director: Ben Cronin
VFX Lead: Tom Moreland
VFX Creative Director: Ben Cronin
VFX Lead: Tom Moreland

Audio Post Production:  Factory
Audio Engineer:  Anthony Moore & Jack Hallett
Audio Producer: Mike Hill