The annual John Lewis Christmas advert is the official start to the festive season, and even the most hardened ‘but it’s too soon!’-ers can’t help but thaw a little bit when the department store’s festive film hits our screens every November.
And not a moment too soon, 2022's has landed on our telly-boxes (or more accurately, YouTube) to have us all shedding a wee tear as it spreads an important message about children in care This Christmas.
From Monty the Penguin and his girlfriend in 2014 to last year’s Unexpected Guest, which told the story of a young alien crash landing in the woods just in time to experience all our bizarre earthly Christmas traditions, there’s no denying that John Lewis makes the gold standard of Christmas advertising. And while they’ve certainly gotten bigger and better over time, a lot of the older ones circa the mid 2000s definitely did an effective job at getting you feeling all Christmassy.
A case in point: 2007’s Shadows
It was the first Christmas ad from the company in ten years and saw a number of what we assume are John Lewis employees stacking up items from the John Lewis catalogue to make a shadow of what looked like a woman walking her dog in the snow. 2007-era John Lewis didn’t beat around the bush with imaginary friends and talking animals – it knew the true meaning of Christmas is PRESENTS.
The Boy and The Piano, 2018
This one might not rank up there with the best if Elton John isn’t your cup of tea, but this epic retrospective of the singer’s life and career, released ahead of the smash biopic featuring Taron Egerton in May 2019 and set to the soundtrack of one of Elton’s most famous songs, Your Song, certainly was a fitting tribute to that year’s tag line: ‘Some gifts are more than just a gift’.
Man on the Moon, 2015
There’s nothing that tugs on the heartstrings quite as much as lonely elderly people (except maybe beloved family pets, but we’ll get to those) and 2015’s advert, made in partnership with Age UK,had our thoughts go out to those spending Christmas alone – and how we might ‘show someone they’re loved this Christmas’. And once that little girl sent that telescope all the way to the moon tied to a few party balloons, there really was no excuse for not inviting your lonely neighbour round for tea, was there? Even Noel Gallagher got into the festive spirit by allowing the rights to his song Half the World Away (Liam subsequently called him a ‘sell out’ on social media – how it warms the cockles).
Monty the Penguin, 2014
It didn’t take a film buff to realise that our protagonist’s penguin in 2014’s offering wasn’t a REAL penguin but a much loved stuff toy – but that didn’t make the heartwarming tale of the little boy finding a penguin girlfriend for his feathery friend any less poignant. Side note – similar cute-kid-with-imaginary-friend effort Moz the Monster, in 2016, completely missed the mark thanks to its CRUEL AND UNATURAL ENDING.
Excitable Edgar, 2019
Edgar the Dragon – in a similar vein to Monty the Penguin – legitimately has my eyes leaking every time I see it, even three years on. It tells the story of an adorable dragon called Edgar in Medieval England, who can’t control his little flame throwing nostrils when he’s excited or happy – and as we all know, it’s impossible NOT to be excited or happy at Christmas! (unless your Liam Gallagher). But the villagers weren’t quite so enamoured by his loveable quirk and banished him when he set fire to the festive decorations. So far, much sad. Until, that is, his human friend gifts him a Christmas pud, which he dutifully toasts to perfection just in time to be welcomed back into the bosom of the villagers for the festive feast.
Give a Little Love, 2020
2020’s ad shared the message of spreading love and goodwill at Cristmas, from the little girl who helped a boy get his football down from a tree with her heart-shaped brolly, to the pigeons who let a hedgehog join their gang despite not having any feathers of his own. Each mini story was illustrated with different quirky animations, and the message – of sharing small acts of kindness to make a big difference – was significant for a year ravaged by a global pandemic.
Buster the Boxer, 2016
Everyone knows a pet is just as much a part of the family as everyone else, and in 2016 pets got their moment when Buster the Boxer got given his very own trampoline for Christmas. But before he got to have a go, the neighbourhood’s wild animals – including foxes, squirrels, and a badger, got to spend the night before Christmas bouncing away. It had all the traditional tropes of a John Lewis Christmas ad (see also: 2013’s The Bear and the Hare feat. Lily Allen) but managed to be funny as well as sentimental, which is the best kind of Christmas ad.