The much-anticipated John Lewis Christmas advert has established itself as one of the UK’s most beloved festive traditions.
Each year, viewers tune in to discover the retailer’s latest seasonal story, before discussing it with friends and relatives and, increasingly, sharing their reactions across social media.
Since the first campaign launched in 2007, the John Lewis Christmas adverts have delivered everything from magical adventures to emotional family moments. Here is a look back at every instalment.
2025: WHERE LOVE LIVES
Last year, John Lewis moved away from its familiar festive tearjerker formula with Where Love Lives, a campaign that offered something more upbeat and nostalgic.
The advert appealed to parents who remembered Britain’s nightclub culture before having children, taking audiences on a nostalgic journey back to the dance floors of their younger years.
At its centre was the bond between a father and his teenage son, marking the first time one of the retailer’s Christmas campaigns had focused on that relationship.
The story began with the teenager anxiously waiting for his dad to discover a present tucked beneath the Christmas tree: a vinyl copy of Alison Limerick’s 1990 club classic Where Love Lives.
Touched by the thoughtful gift, the father placed the record on his turntable. Nearby, his son watched nervously, headphones resting around his neck as he waited to see how his dad would respond.
When the opening beat filled the room, the father was suddenly swept away from his living room and into a packed, pulsating nightclub surrounded by fellow revellers.
Scenes of the dad dancing in the club were intercut with memories of his son as a baby and toddler. As a softer modern rendition of the song played, the advert returned to the present, where the emotional father drew his embarrassed teenager into a hug.
2024: THE GIFTING HOUR
John Lewis delivered another emotional Christmas advert in 2024, taking viewers on a magical adventure as one sister embarked on a heartfelt search for the perfect present for her sibling.
The story followed Sally, who hurried into the John Lewis Oxford Street flagship shortly before closing after leaving her Christmas shopping until the last minute.
In a scene inspired by The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Sally fell through a rail of dresses and entered an enchanted world, eventually emerging from an old wardrobe in the attic of her childhood home.
Her quest continued through a series of whimsical memories as she searched for a meaningful gift for her beloved sister. The most moving moment came when Sally encountered her late mother and shared a fleeting festive moment with her.
2023: SNAPPER: THE PERFECT TREE
In 2023, John Lewis opted for a colourful and cheerful campaign instead of its customary tearjerker. It was also only the second time the retailer had chosen an original song rather than a cover of a well-known classic.
The heartwarming story centred on a young boy named Alfie, who asked his grandmother for a seed so he could “grow your own perfect Christmas tree”. Andrea Bocelli supplied the advert’s soundtrack.
After planting the seed, Alfie was thrilled to see a Venus flytrap emerge from the pot instead of a traditional festive fir. He affectionately named the animated plant Snapper — “the perfect tree”.
But soon the plant caused chaos and was pushed outside – until Christmas morning, when Alfie presented the flytrap with a gift. Snapper gobbled the offerings up, spitting out festive gifts for the family – everything from headphones to Lego sets and slippers.
2022: THE BEGINNER
Titled ‘The Beginner’, the 2022 festive clip told the story of a foster father learning to skateboard in the run-up to Christmas.
The hapless skater collected many bruises and scrapes along the way, but persevered with his new hobby – even doing homework by watching skating tutorials at work.
When Christmas Day comes around, it is finally revealed that the character had been training in order to impress the foster child, Ellie, who was coming to stay with him and his wife over the holidays. She was welcomed into their home clutching a skateboard – bedecked with stickers – close to her chest.
And appropriately, the ad was set to a slow rendition of skater-pop anthem Blink-182’s ‘All The Small Things’ – a more upbeat choice than the ballads usually selected.
2021: UNEXPECTED GUEST
The retailer’s two-minute ad in 2021, titled ‘Unexpected Guest’, featured a young boy introducing an alien to Christmas traditions, before she emotionally departed back to her home planet.
It starred space traveller Skye crash-landing at the height of festivities in the woods near the home of 14-year-old Nathan, who introduced her to the traditions of eating mince pies, decorating the tree and, to her slight confusion, wearing novelty jumpers.
The soundtrack was provided by London singer and songwriter Lola Young, who performed a cover of Together In Electric Dreams, originally released by Philip Oakey and Giorgio Moroder in 1984.
The ad started with Nathan, who on his way home from school spotted a flashing light in the distance and chased it to the woods beside his home. It was here he encountered space traveller Skye and her spaceship.
2020: GIVE A LITTLE LOVE
The 2020 campaign hoped to raise a smile with light-hearted scenes of magical flying snowmen, supersized Christmas crackers and a hedgehog who dreams of being a pigeon.
The two-minute commercial showed how small acts of kindness can alleviate loneliness and bring joy to people who are quietly struggling.
Told through a series of nine interconnecting vignettes, the ad followed a chain reaction of good deeds that changed someone else’s life in small but meaningful ways.
Each scene was done in a different style, from hand-drawn animation to claymation and cinematography.
2019: EDGAR THE DRAGON
This offering starred an excitable and accident-prone dragon called Edgar who lives in a freezing mythical village with his red-headed best friend Ava.
In the heart-warming and funny ad, the pair try to quell Edgar’s disastrous fire-breathing after it threatened to destroy the festive period for everyone as a giant Christmas tree was set on fire, a snowman was destroyed and the local ice rink melted.
It marked the first time the department store joined with sister brand Waitrose for a festive commercial. After a mixed response to the 2018 ad, which featured Elton John and charted his rise from childhood, the new ad seemed to be a return to formula.
2018: THE BOY AND THE PIANO
The retailer ended a decade of heart-warming tear-jerkers featuring loveable animals and charming children last year when it featured Sir Elton John in its Christmas ad.
It charted the singer’s rise from humble beginnings to fame and fortune.
The mini-biopic, set to his 1970 hit Your Song, showed how one present can change a life and ended with a four-year-old Elton unwrapping his first piano on Christmas Day in 1951.
The £7million advert then cuts to the emotional 71-year-old playing the same instrument while thinking about his mother Sheila, who died in 2017 aged 92, followed by the slogan: ‘Some gifts are more than just a gift’.
However, it was panned by some who thought that it focused more on the singer than on Christmas.
Some fans were also disappointed that cuddly stars such as Monty the penguin and Moz the monster were jettisoned for a celebrity-endorsed campaign.
2017: MOZ THE MONSTER
2017’s effort featured the story of a boy who befriends the monster under his bed, with the music a cover of The Beatles’ Golden Slumbers by rock band Elbow.
It left viewers in tears over the mischievous and flatulent monster called Moz and his relationship with a seven-year-old soulmate – with fans comparing it to Disney’s much-loved Monsters Inc.
The giant furry monster with a bulbous nose, wonky teeth and a love of snoring, jumped out from under the bed every night to play with companion Joe in a festive tale making many laugh and cry.
The little boy, aged seven, who is played by young twin brothers from London named Ethan and Tobias, is initially frightened after seeing a pair of enormous eyes peering from the dark under his bed.
But the two unlikely friends are shown sharing games, playing piggyback and Scalextric in his bedroom – all without mum, dad, or older sister finding out.
2016: BUSTER THE BOXER
Buster the Boxer was the star of the 2016 edition.
John Lewis said the advert where the dog, played by five-year-old Biff, beats a young girl to her new toy was an attempt to cheer up Britain after a ‘tough year’.
The advert told the story of a little girl called Bridget who loves to jump.
Set to a cover version of ‘One Day I’ll Fly Away’, her mother and father buy her a trampoline, toiling while she sleeps to build it before hiding it in the garden to surprise her with on Christmas Day. As the snow falls an array of animals start using it as the Boxer watches forlornly through the window.
The next morning Bridget sprints out to use it for the first time but her joy turns to shock as cheeky Buster has the last laugh and uses her new toy before her.
2015: MAN ON THE MOON
In 2015, a lonely Man on the Moon is shown to viewers sitting by himself on a bench, completely unaware that he is being observed by the youngster back down on Earth.
The elderly man, played by a 77-year-old French actor called Jean, gazes up wistfully towards the Earth, as the Oasis song Half The World Away, performed by 19-year-old Norwegian singer Aurora plays mournfully in the background.
She tries desperately to send him a message but all her efforts fail, while he remains unaware that anyone cares about him and sits alone on a bench, staring up at the Earth.
Eventually, on Christmas morning, a present arrives from the sky, carried by party balloons, and the old man unwraps it to reveal a vintage telescope.
He uses it to spot Lily and, realising that someone cares about him, his eyes fill with tears.
2014: MONTY THE PENGUIN
In 2014, John Lewis hoped the bond between a boy and a penguin would capture the public’s imagination.
The two-minute festive commercial told the story of seven-year-old Sam, played by actor Rhys Edwards from Hertfordshire, and his friend Monty.
The boy gradually realises Monty is longing for a penguin companion. And so on Christmas morning Sam surprises Monty with the gift of a new penguin friend named Mabel.
The soundtrack was John Lennon’s song Real Love, performed by Tom Odell.
2013: THE BEAR AND THE HARE
In 2013, the £7million Disney-inspired advert told the story of a selfless hare who is determined to make sure his best friend, a bear, doesn’t miss Christmas for once.
The commercial features the tale of two good friends, a bear and a hare, who are sad at the thought of being separated for Christmas.
The tale opens as winter is starting to draw in and the fun and excitement of preparing for Christmas begins.
As the first snowflake falls and lands on the bear’s nose, the hare starts to feel sad because he realises his friend will soon go off to hibernate, so – as usual – missing Christmas.
While the bear is keen to join in, eventually he finds he cannot hold off his winter sleep any longer and disappears into his cave.
Viewers see the bear fast asleep while all the other woodland creatures become excited about the big day to come.
However, the hare is missing his friend and finds it increasingly difficult to join in the preparations until the moment he has a great idea for a very special present.
He disappears off in to the wilderness to return with the gift – an alarm clock – which wakes the bear just in time to gather around a beautifully decorated tree to celebrate with all his friends.
2012: THE JOURNEY
The Christmas ad from 2012, called The Journey, shows the extraordinary lengths to which some will go in their search for a gift for someone they love.
The 90-second commercial opens in a family’s snow-covered garden, with children happily making a snowman and snowwoman.
When the snowman mysteriously disappears the next morning, the viewer is transported to a magical world, following him on an epic journey across river, mountain, road and city.
The motive for the snowman’s secret journey isn’t revealed until the last scene, when he returns on Christmas morning with gifts for his wife.
Gabrielle Aplin sings The Power Of Love, the 1984 hit from Frankie Goes To Hollywood, as the soundtrack.
2011: THE LONG WAIT
In 2011, the John Lewis advert showed a young boy desperately excited about Christmas.
He eagerly counts down the days to December 25 with viewers left to imagine he is looking forward to getting presents.
However, it is revealed at the end that he actually couldn’t wait to give presents to his parents.
It was accompanied by a cover of The Smiths’ Please Please Let Me Get What I Want’.
2010: A TRIBUTE TO GIVERS
The 2010 offering saw individuals choosing and wrapping their presents in the lead up to the big day, as Ellie Goulding sings a cover of Elton John’s Your Song.
Various people furtively hide the presents they’ve carefully chosen.
Parents sneak a rocking horse upstairs while their children’s backs are turned; a mechanic struggles to wrap a spotted teapot; and a small boy braves the snow in his dressing gown to hang a stocking outside his dog’s kennel.
2009: SWEET CHILD O’MINE
2009 was the first of the store’s Christmas campaigns created by advertising agency Adam & Eve.
It was also the first to feature a musical cover by a current artist, on this occasion a Taken By Trees version of Sweet Child O’ Mine by Guns N’ Roses.
The ad shows children opening gifts for adults including a laptop, coffee machine and handbag.
It’s followed by the tagline: ‘Remember how Christmas used to feel? Give someone that feeling.’
2008: FROM ME TO YOU
Culminating in the tagline: ‘If you know the person, you’ll find the present,’ the 2008 version shows a succession of characters followed by a matching gift.
The soundtrack is a cover of The Beatles’ From Me To You recorded for the campaign.
It included vocals by Matt Spinner, a member of the John Lewis IT department and its music society.
2007: SHADOWS
The first John Lewis Christmas ad shows a group of people stacking a pile of potential gifts including a desktop lamp, a computer and a leather satchel in an empty room.
The finished product ends up creating a shadow that looks like a woman walking her dog through the snow.
It is accompanied by the tagline: ‘Whoever you’re looking for this Christmas.’
