Footballer turns terrace chant into national TV ad

A football chant that has echoed around lower league stadiums for years has been transformed into an advert for retail giant John Lewis.

Boston United striker Lenell John‑Lewis has long been serenaded by supporters singing "his name is a shop".

It has been a running joke that has followed him throughout his career from his early days in non-league football with Grantham Town before turning professional at Lincoln City and moving on to clubs includingGrimsby Town and York City.

The 37-year-old told the BBC the moment the retailer approached him to turn the chant into a glossy advert ahead of the World Cup had felt surreal, adding: "It's crazy because I've heard it for so long in my career."

The chant has been a defining part of John-Lewis's identity.

In 2014, a Grimsby Town fan created a spoof John Lewis Christmas advert, featuring the player sporting a decorative bow on his head, which went viral.

The player, who also had spells at Bury, Newport County, Shrewsbury Town and Hereford, said: "Many people have obviously spoken about it and said 'Oh, we should do this', and [when] the opportunity [comes] about, I can't turn that down."

Speaking of his collaboration with the retailer, he said: "It's been brilliant. It's been something new. It's been enjoyable.

"We've got this lovely summer of football and sport to look forward to and see where that takes us."

The tongue-in-cheek partnership with the retailer has also delighted John-Lewis's current fans at Boston, some of whom also feature in the advert.

Pilgrims supporter Joshua Cutting said he had "stumbled" onto the filming set as he was leaving the club's shop.

"We're all having fun throughout it," he said.

Doing several takes chanting "his name is a shop" was all part of the fun, Cutting added.

"He [Lewis] definitely started playing along with it towards the end, and it's quite funny how... in the advert that got released, you've got him laughing at us, because I think towards the end we were just starting laughing every time we did a take."

A spokesperson for the retailer added: "Lenell has spent over a decade embracing the chant 'his name is a shop' with genuine good humour and warmth.

"That spirit made him the perfect partner for what we wanted to do this summer."

Listen to highlights fromLincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch thelatest episode of Look North.

Download the BBC News app from the App Storefor iPhone and iPad orGoogle Play for Android devices