John Lewis’s new social-first vodcast Gift List has attracted almost 20,000 YouTube views since launching on 3 September, with a second episode due to drop soon.
Hosted by broadcaster Angela Scanlon, the six-part series explores the memorable, unsuccessful and sometimes unusual gifts exchanged by its celebrity guests. New episodes are scheduled to appear every three weeks, accompanied by social cutdowns and YouTube Shorts.
The opening instalment features documentary-maker Louis Theroux and had recorded more than 19,000 views on the retailer’s YouTube channel by 14 September. During the conversation, Theroux discusses being out-gifted by Tom Cruise, an ill-fated attempt to take a silver spoon from Joan Collins’ birthday party and some of the stranger presents he has received during his career.
Gift List is produced from The Box Studio, John Lewis’s recently opened content-production space inside its Oxford Street flagship. The facility forms part of the retailer’s effort to create a more consistent pipeline of social and digital programming around its products, talent partnerships and seasonal campaigns.
John Lewis has also used the studio for product-led content featuring performers including Daisy May Cooper, Tom Davis and Stephen Libby. Its planned output ranges from reviews and reactions to trends to creator takeovers and films built around seasonal and self-gifting.
Rosie Hanley, marketing and loyalty director at John Lewis, described Gift List as “a celebration of all the special, funny and unforgettable moments that are created by gifting”, adding that Scanlon makes each interview feel like “a catch-up over coffee with a close friend”.
Scanlon said the format was designed to uncover the stories prompted by memorable presents. “We’ve all received that one gift that made us laugh, cry, or scratch our heads in total confusion – but whichever it is, it makes for a great story,” she said.
The launch reflects the growing use of entertainment-led content by consumer brands seeking to reach audiences beyond conventional advertising. John Lewis said The Box Studio would support its response to the continuing shift of the retail “shop window” towards social platforms.
Gift List is distributed through YouTube and JohnLewis.com, with audio versions available through Spotify and Apple Podcasts. The John Lewis YouTube channel currently has around 118,000 subscribers.
