John Lewis Christmas Ad Ventures Into Relatable Territory

There are a few other brand departures in this year’s campaign.   

John Lewis is known for soundtracking its ads with covers of classic songs, but this year’s track is an original: 1998’s Sonnet by English rock band The Verve. The 1990s song choice is intentional to reflect the era when the sisters grew up, Lock said. 

As part of the campaign, John Lewis will conduct a nationwide search via TikTok for an undiscovered talent to cover Sonnet and perform the song during a special airing of the ad on Christmas. The Verve lead singer Richard Ashcroft and a panel of judges will select the winner, who will receive a professional recording session, their cover single released by music publisher BMG, a John Lewis shopping spree, and tickets to an Ashcroft show in 2025.  

Finding truth in advertising

Another major shift is the brand’s tone of voice, which has evolved to be more human, said Saatchi & Saatchi chief creative officer Franki Goodwin. 

“We wanted to start thinking about the customer, our audience and the journeys they go on as people,” she said. 

Previous John Lewis Christmas ads have employed magical, emotional storytelling, and featured cuddly anthropomorphic characters from a penguin to a dragon to a monster who lives under the bed. Saatchi & Saatchi’s Christmas debut for John Lewis last year depicted a playful Venus flytrap.

This year’s film retains a fantastical and imaginative quality, but the focus is on a real, human relationship, said Lock. 

“We’re telling stories that are relatable and finding real truth in advertising,” she continued. “We need our customers to see themselves and know what we’re there for.” 

The blockbuster days are over

Starting with its 2011 Christmas ad, “The Long Wait,” by former agency adam&eveDDB, John Lewis carved out a notable space in British advertising for building anticipation and attracting widespread public interest, becoming tabloid fodder and headline news in national media.    

However, this year’s trilogy signals a shift in the advertising landscape. John Lewis’ strategy follows a trend of other retailers, including Walmart and Target in the U.S., that have ditched the single blockbuster spot in favor of episodic series or multiple campaigns to capture attention during the busy holiday period.