What do you think to the John Lewis Xmas ad?

[AceKitten]

As a gen x, I do get it and I do think it’s very British
repressed emotions

just doesn’t feel very Christmassy to me tho…
and hate the message can find the words, just buy the right gift …

totally not the spirit of Xmas !
but it’s also a retailer flogging things not a government announcement

Agree with you, OP.
I was completely baffled. A kid buys his dad a record. ‘Whatever’.

I think I've seen it but I can't remember it, so it hasn't been at all effective in my case. Not that I ever shop in John Lewis anyway!

ETA -- also Gen X

Worst one of theirs to date

Worst one ever.

It is rubbish although I think all JL adverts are maudlin rubbish, the waitrose advert is brilliant silly but Christmassy

Not keen, the Waitrose one though is terrific, even if it is 4 minutes.

Gen X here, I don’t remember raves looking like that. It’s a bit shit overall.

Raves definitely didn't look like that.

It’s poor, John Lewis doesn’t even sell vinyl so it makes zero sense. The weird staring between the dad and the son is creepy and doesn’t stir any Christmassy feelings, it’s more like an nspcc advert.

Bloody awful. Looks like the trailer for a Harlan Coben two part series.

It’s also a total rip off of the film Aftersun. Which feels quite cynical as a move to tug on the heart strings.

I hate all Xmas ads . In fact I hate all ads and luckily dont see them

It is really creepy when they are staring at each other across the dance floor. I was thinking it was a bit like Back to the Future when Marty’s mum was fancying him.

I like it, because I like the ads with "a message" and a bit of emotion thrown in.
I can't understand those who say it "isn't Christmassy" since it's clearly set at a family's Christmas? What the hell counts as 'Christmassy' then?

It isn't JL's best but I guess they don't quite have the funds these days to produce the likes of Bear & the Hare, so understandable.

However, it's been out a while and been debated endlessly, can't see all the fuss now.

I'm definitely not Gen X!

Oh yeah they don't even sell vinyl so they!
Bloody good point

Terrible, much prefer the Waitrose ad.

It’s rubbish. Not as good as the Wallace and Grommet one!

I also wondered when JL started selling vinyl records!

I love it 🥰

The end.

https://www.johnlewis.com/rough-trade-john-lewis-christmas-advert-2025-where-love-lives-12-inch-vinyl-record/p114390034

Oh… and you can buy it from John Lewis… 😉

Apparently they do have a concession of the record seller Rough Trade in some branches and you can buy the record in the advert.
What would be a much better advert is if they actually told their customers this 😂😂😂 because as comments on this thread show - people don't know that.
Daft advert in my opinion.

If I remember correctly John Lewis have, for years, been trying to set themselves apart from the jolliness of other Christmas advertising. Wasn’t last year’s effort about elderly loneliness?

Maybe they are trying to be artistically poignant. some sort of superior mindfulness. They can fuck right off with that unless they state in their ads the percentage of their festive profits are given away to those for whom Christmas is not a merry time. Otherwise they should stop pissing on the party

Good point @Lurkingandlearning what are JL doing or are they just making sentimental nonsense ?

not very Chrismassy at all. Why does the boy look so scared.

I have no idea why JL is the benchmark for Christmas ads just because they did 2 good ones I much prefer the Sainsbury's ad with the BFG.

On a far more serious note - will get the proper Coke advert with the truck this year? It just wasn't Christmas last year without it

It's better than that one where Lilly Allen did the cover as it's very funny! I mean its not really what I think of when I think of conservative with a small C, John Lewis, the rave scene, compromised mental state as often drug taking followed by massive come down and weed smoking!