The 2024 John Lewis Christmas advert is here, arriving just in time to tug on viewer’s heartstrings - and encourage them to hit the shops.
The highly anticipated advert follows Sally, our heroine, as she frantically attempts to find a Christmas present for her sister 15 minutes before the brand’s flagship London store closes. As she looks, she falls through a dress rack only to end up in the attic of her childhood home, tumbling through memories of growing up with her sister. It ends with Sally meeting her sister outside the shop, perfectly wrapped gift in hand.
Called The Gifting Hour, the advert is soundtracked by The Verve frontman Richard Ashcroft’s original song ‘Sonnet’ from his Acoustic Hymns album.
It’s a departure from previous John Lewis ads which often feature covers, with the retailer holding a competition on TikTok to find an aspiring artist to cover the song, with the help of Ashcroft and record label BMG. The winner will record their own version of ‘Sonnet’ which will appear in a special Christmas Day edition of the ad on TV, with the track to be officially released.
John Lewis’ Christmas adverts have been a festive tradition in the UK for more than a decade, dating back to 2007. As such, there is plenty of debate surrounding which is best.
As a reminder of those which came before, here are all 18 of John Lewis’ Christmas adverts. What is your favourite?
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1. 2007: Shadows
John Lewis' first Christmas advert saw a series of gifts perfectly placed to create a show that looked like a girl and her dog in festive snow. The soundtrack was Prokofiev’s 'Morning Serenade' from Romeo and Juliet. | John Lewis
2. 2008 - Clues
Set to Beatles classic 'From Me to You' sung by the store's very own John Lewis Partners, this advert saw a series of people followed by their perfect gift, from a satnav to a cuddly mouse. | John Lewis
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3. 2009 - The Feeling
In 2009 the John Lewis advert started the tradition of using an accoustic version of a well-known song - using Guns 'n' Roses classic 'Sweet Child O’ Mine' as sung by Taken By Trees. It told a simple story of a girl given her first camera for Christmas, before the gift morphs into an adult version - showing you're never to old for a magical present. | John Lewis
4. 2010 - A Tribute To Givers
Set to Ellie Goulding singing Elton John's 'Your Song', this advert features a series of familiar Christmas present-buying scenes - parents sneaking gifts past the kids and hiding them in the loft, a series of people wrapping items with degrees of success and a cute nipper pinning up a stocking for the family dog. | John Lewis