The countdown to the festive period is officially on, thanks to the highly-anticipated release of the John Lewis Christmas ad.
Grab the tissues, as it’s another tear-jerker:
The short film for 2024, which is called 'The Gifting Hour', follows Sally as she rushes around John Lewis' flagship Oxford Street store to find a last-minute gift for her sister - 15 minutes before the shop closes.
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Amid the chaos, she falls through a rack of dresses and finds herself in the attic of her childhood home, going back through memories of growing up with her sibling as she searches for the perfect present.
Sally then meets her sister outside John Lewis with the beautifully wrapped gift, both walking away to reveal her sister reflected in the window as the child from her memories.
A departure from the brand’s usual style as it’s actually about the literal act of shopping, the ad ends with the strapline: “The secret to finding the perfect gift? Knowing where to look.”
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John Lewis customer director Charlotte Lock said: “Our ad heroes the thoughtful gift-giver and celebrates ‘the gifting hour’, the moment when you go a little deeper in your heart and in our stores to find something really special and meaningful for the ones you love.
“Our shops are the beating heart of our brand and our customers love the ritual of Christmas shopping there – so we wanted to give the store a starring role in our ad for the first time.
“This year the John Lewis Christmas advert features an original song rather than a cover track, and we’re offering the nation the chance to put their own stamp on it and become the ultimate cover star.”
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The advert - which is soundtracked by the song 'Sonnet', taken from former Verve frontman Richard Ashcroft's album Acoustic Hymns - was created by Saatchi & Saatchi as the third in a trilogy released by the retailer for its 2024 campaign.
Franki Goodwin, chief creative officer at Saatchi & Saatchi, said: “We’ve all been there – time’s running out and you’re still looking for the perfect gift for someone in your life who’s impossible to shop for.
“That’s why I believe viewers will truly connect with our heroine, as she dives into a rack of dresses, exploring her memories in search of that special gift.
“The Gifting Hour is a glorious visual and emotional feast which is both grown-up and childlike at the same time.
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“Our chosen track, Richard Ashcroft’s 'Sonnet', is a memory for anyone who grew up in the 90s, and the fact we’ve not chosen a cover version really leans into the nostalgia.
“We are delighted, however, to invite the nation to cover the track for Christmas Day, in a wonderful twist on the magic John Lewis formula.”
This year, John Lewis is also holding a TikTok competition to find an aspiring artist who will cover the advert's song, with the help of both Ashcroft and record label BMG.
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Their own version of 'Sonnet' will then feature in a special Christmas Day airing of the ad on TV, with all proceeds from the winning single going to the John Lewis Partnership’s Building Happier Futures programme, which helps 'care-experienced' people.
The John Lewis Christmas advert has become a key moment in the festive calendar, with the retailer going all-out each year for its seasonal campaign.
Last year’s ad, titled ‘Snapper, The Perfect Tree’, followed a little boy whose grow-your-own Christmas tree turns out to be a mischievous Venus flytrap.
An original song called ‘Festa’, which means ‘celebration’, was composed especially for John Lewis by campaign by Italian electro-pop duo Le Feste Antonacci and performed by Italian tenor, Andrea Bocelli, to soundtrack the tear-jerking short film.
The year before that, we had ‘The Beginner’, which saw a middle-aged man try his hand at skateboarding – much to the dismay of his knees - a new hobby that turned out to be for the sake of his new foster child, Ellie.
We've also had everything from a budding friendship between a boy and an alien to a bear who was woken up from hibernation so he could experience Christmas for the first time.
Let's not forget the adorable effort in 2018, titled ‘The Boy and the Piano’, began with Elton John playing the opening notes of his hit ‘Your Song’, before he reminisced about his early years – including Christmas Day in the 1950s, when his mum gave him the gift that would change his life forever: a piano.
Topics: Christmas, John Lewis, Shopping, Fashion
Jess Hardiman