Behind the scenes: Megaforce on shooting the John Lewis Christmas ad

It’s hard to name directors afforded more reverence on the ad circuit than Megaforce. The Gallic quartet, made up of Leo Berne, Clement Gallet, Charles Brisgand and Raphaël Rodriguez, are behind such hits as Burberry’s “Open spaces”, Lacoste’s “Crocodile inside” and Nike “Nothing beats a Londoner”, all of which hang proudly in adland’s hall of fame. 

 

So when news broke that John Lewis & Partners and Saatchi & Saatchi London had signed Megaforce to direct its coveted Christmas slot, a frisson of excitement was sent right across the industry. 

 

Gallet and Rodriguez reveal that they were drawn to pitch for the John Lewis Christmas ad because of its status in the UK’s advertising calendar. “The storytelling aspect of these ads is always innovative and heartwarming, which aligns with our passion for pushing creative boundaries and evoking strong emotions through film,” the former explains. 

 

Gallet and Rodriguez pitched against Rye Lane director Raine Allen-Miller and Pulse director Sam Pilling. Franki Goodwin, Saatchi & Saatchi London’s chief creative officer, says that even before Megaforce pitched, they asked the team for a call.  

 

“They wanted to talk about the idea,” Goodwin recalls. 

 

Saatchi & Saatchi London had pitched the idea months earlier to John Lewis’ customer director, Charlotte Lock, and marketing director, Rosie Hanley.

 

“It was literally a Google image of a Venus flytrap,” Goodwin reflects. “Next to the words: ‘Carnivorous Christmas: a boy plants a seed and instead of growing a fir… he gets a Venus flytrap.”   

 

Dialling in from France, Megaforce suggested that Teddy, the main protagonist, find the seed package somewhere. “They had a lovely build on the idea,” Goodwin says. “The team were hooked from that point. It really changed the feeling of it. Maybe that’s why I chose them.”  

 

With contracts signed and sealed, Megaforce says it dived deep into the heart of the story. 

 

“It was a collaborative effort with the agency to refine the concept,” Rodriguez explains. “We immersed ourselves in the world we were about to build, considering every detail from the emotional arc to the visual aesthetics, ensuring the story’s magic would translate seamlessly on screen.”  

 

Gallet describes the script development as a “layered process”.

 

 

“We took the initial concept from the agency and fleshed it out, adding details and moments that would resonate with viewers,” he explains. “Our focus was to balance the whimsy of the narrative with relatable, genuine emotion, crafting a journey that felt both fantastic and real.” 

 

During this process, Megaforce began developing Snapper, whom Saatchis had already begun conjuring up. 

 

 

“Developing a creature is always an exciting process and to characterise a living plant, it was still the case,” Rodriguez says. “We quickly realised that despite not having eyes, Snapper’s mouths were extremely expressive and we could convey most of the emotions we needed only by modelling them.

 

“When we wanted to emphasise an emotion, shaping his body posture and even his movements gave us another interesting range of expressions. We often referred to how a pet might express itself.” 

 

 

Goodwin praises Megaforce for the pre-production work they do. Rodriguez says: “It’s where we lay the groundwork for our vision. For us, it’s about meticulous planning and visualisation.

 

“Storyboarding is key, as is mapping out each shot, especially where choreography is concerned. We also use previs, particularly with CGI elements like Snapper, to anticipate how scenes will play out.” 

 

Megaforce says such preparation allows them to capture the fluidity and grace in movement that they are known for. 

 

 

With pre-production complete, Megaforce flew over from France to London to meet the team in person for the first time at the shoot. They describe this moment as “a symphony coming together”, as “everyone has been carefully selected for their expertise, and there was an instant synergy. We thrived on the collaborative energy on set.” 

 

The shoot itself was quite challenging. “It’s very subtle to work with kids,” Gallet says. “And on top of this, when your second character isn’t real, it really requires a strong level of imagination for everyone on set. It was intense and exhilarating.” 

 

 

Relying on this “strong level of imagination”, the team shot with a puppet in lieu of Snapper.

 

“Working with puppets was a dynamic part of bringing Snapper to life,” Gallet says. “It was a tangible reference on set for both the actors and the post-production team. The special effects were then layered on, guided by the puppet’s movements, to create the final, lifelike CGI.” 

 

Megaforce’s trademark fluidity in movement comes alive through Snapper. “As he only has mouths, movement was important to express his feelings in wider shots,” Rodriguez says. “It was interesting to imagine how to shape and animate these multiple necks and heads to express a global emotion out of it.”

 

Megaforce calls working with John Lewis and Saatchis an “interesting experience”. 

 

“They provided a great balance of creative freedom and clear vision, which allowed us to express ourselves.” 

 

Watch the film in full: