John Lewis has shared the first part of its ‘Live Knowingly’ series of adverts created to mark the relaunch of the retailer’s ‘Never Knowingly Undersold’ policy.

The retailer has upgraded and revived the price match policy after it initially scrapped the guarantee due to what it described as complications with online shopping.

Created by the retailer’s agency of record Saatchi & Saatchi and entitled ‘The Window’, the first in the three part series the 90-second spot centres the retailers flagship Oxford Street store, using it as a metaphorical portal into John Lewis’ history.

Voiced by actress Samantha Norton and directed by King She, the scenes draw on John Lewis’ own archive, showing glimpses of the past including people discovering a toaster for the first time in 1925 and the flagship store being used as a bomb shelter during the Blitz.

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In a nod to the Live Knowingly brand platform, the film – set to the tune of singer Laura Mvula’s cover of Paul Simon’s ‘I Know What I Know’ – concludes with Norton saying: “The older I get the less I know, and the more I try to live knowingly”.

“Bringing back the Never Knowingly Undersold promise and launching the Live Knowingly platform has allowed us to delve into the rich archives of John Lewis, uncovering the deep connection this brand has shared with the nation for over a century,” said Saatchi & Saatchi chief creative officer Franki Goodwin.

“This isn’t just a shop –  it’s been everything from a date night destination to a bomb shelter.”

John Lewis customer director Charlotte Lock added: “We’ve looked to our heritage to inform our refreshed value promise to customers, making it relevant for today by matching not only high street retailers but also online competitors – and we are backing it with the biggest marketing campaign in our history.”

“We have drawn on our archives and are literally depicting a window on Britain, showing the changing trends and events over the past century.”

“Our launch ad travels back to 1925 when we first introduced Never Knowingly Undersold, through the perspective of our Oxford Street shop window.  The enduring value and values John Lewis represents are as important today as they were a century ago.”

The three films will run throughout ‘The Golden Quarter’, culminating in the debut of John Lewis’ much-anticipated annual Christmas advert. The first film will air tonight (19 September) during Channel 4’s ‘Taskmaster’.