This April, John Lewis will be celebrating the nation’s favourite things, pastimes and quirks with a summer long campaign that will shine a spotlight on the best of British life, design and culture. It will include a ‘Summer Season’ series of events and workshops that will be John Lewis’s biggest ever programme of customer activity; hundreds of events with over 100 of the nation’s best-loved home-grown brands.

Launching on Wednesday 26 April and running until Sunday 20 August national treasures will be brought to life across all 48 John Lewis shops and online at johnlewis.com. John Lewis asked the nation what British summertime means to them and worked with British illustrator Paul Thurlby to create this humorous, celebratory, summer campaign.

Peter Cross, director, customer experience at John Lewis explains: ‘There’s nothing quite like the Great British summer. While we may be a nation of shoppers, pet-lovers and tea-drinkers all year round, there’s something about the summer that makes everything a bit more special. It’s the time when ice creams by the seaside, long afternoons in packed-out parks and grabbing an umbrella (just in case) become our national pastimes. In fact, we’d go so far as to call them our national treasures. That’s why John Lewis has put together a programme of special events and experiences in collaboration with your best-loved home-grown brands. All of our favourite things. All summer long.’

Illustrated In Shops

A first for John Lewis, windows and shop interiors will be transformed by the award winning British illustrator Paul Thurlby for the national treasures campaign. As part of the exclusive partnership, Paul has worked alongside the John Lewis design teams to create a collection of illustrations that epitomise the customs, spaces, places, people and habits that we hold dear as a nation. In addition, 220 life size characters will be a central feature in the Oxford Street atrium.  Paul’s work will come alive in all of John Lewis’s windows, which run nearly a third of a mile in its shops.

Paul Thurlby comments: ‘The Great British summer is truly special. I hope these scenes I created really epitomise the nation’s most treasured quintessential moments, traditions and humour – all integral to our national identity. From ‘beside the seaside’ to ‘all you need is tea’ it’s been interesting exploring what makes us all brilliantly British from our nation’s characteristic design to our diversity and culture.  I’m looking forward to seeing the illustrations come to life in shops across the country this summer, and hope they make people smile.’

The ‘Summer Season’ Events & Workshops

The ‘Summer Season’ is the biggest and most interactive programme of activity launched by John Lewis to date, and will allow customers to see, learn, experience, make and dine, as shops across the country become destinations for discovery. John Lewis has carefully curated a programme of events that will weave together experiences including interactive masterclasses, seminars, Q&A’s and workshops taking place in shops nationwide.

The ‘Summer Season’ programme will host events from beloved John Lewis brands including scent discovery workshops with Neom founder Nicola Elliott, interactive wellbeing workshops from Manuka Lifestyle and Liz Earle, creative BBQ masterclasses with Weber and print design workshops with designer Laura Slater.

The national treasures Shop

A ‘national treasury’ pop-up shop will be unveiled in each full-line John Lewis department store, showcasing a curated collection of products that celebrate craftsmanship, creativity, charm and character. The full scale greenhouses will be a multisensory experience, brought to life with lifesize national treasures illustrations, exhibiting  best-selling products from iconic British brands including Mulberry, Hunter, Dyson, Tom Dixon, Dualit, Wedgwood and Dartington.

A collection of limited edition gifts that celebrate Paul Thurlby’s unique national treasure illustrations will also be available. The selection of illustrated products include tote bags, tea towels, chocolates and mugs, for the perfect cup of tea.

A Taste of Britain

Visitors to the John Lewis Gardening Society rooftop will have the chance to escape the hustle and bustle of Oxford Street and cool down with an ice cold beverage served from the new Gardeners Arms, rumoured to be Britain’s smallest pub. Opening for it’s second summer, Gardening Society guests will also be offered the opportunity to reserve a ‘summer house’ complete with private herb and flower garden and outdoor seating or the larger ‘pavilion’ to indulge in British-inspired food and drinks.

A number of national treasures ‘Summer Season’ moments, including fitness and gardening classes, will be hosted on the flagship rooftop allowing attendees to experience exclusive events whilst enjoying breathtaking views of London’s iconic skyline.

Peter Jones will host the exclusive Wedgwood Tea Conservatory, running for three weeks from 24 May within the ground floor atrium space. The Wedgwood Tea Conservatory will serve a floral-inspired tea in a one of a kind luxurious Wedgwood setting.

Commenting on the significance of the national treasures campaign, Peter Cross, director, customer experience explains: ‘As a Partnership, we wanted to create an integrated campaign that celebrates those iconic moments and traditions that make us who we are as a nation.

‘We’ve come together with some of the country’s best brands and most talented national treasures to bring what we believe to be a collection of truly inspiring, immersive, interesting and innovative experiences to our customers across the country.  Customers will be able to visit our shops and leave having learnt, laughed at, tried and tasted some of our nation’s absolute favourite things, which we know our customers love.’