To dislike to John Lewis Christmas ad?

[Peashoots]

I get the message behind it but I hated it. Not at all Christmassy, hated the song, hated the aesthetic, just don’t know what they were thinking?

@lightisnotwhite , honestly, I do know this. I am an adopter to two children, one of whom has profound disabilities, caused by her birth family, and the other has significant difficulties. I am also a foster carer of many years standing. I do realise that fostering is not just for Christmas. I’m 15 years in with my eldest DD, who is a Christmas baby.

Loved it, and I think it embodies the true spirit of Christmas, going those extra lengths to care for others rather than buying things. Especially in a year where many are facing tough financial times.

Was that the McDonalds Inner Child one ? It is tear jerky

And there's a non Christmas KFC from 2015 "Families"

Yes that's the one 70 the child who seems to have outgrown his parents but is still little inside. I was going to look for a link but I know I will weep.

I bloody loved it, watched it a few times and had a little cry. I work with children in care and I loved having them and the many passionate hardworking foster carers acknowledged. For me the advert is all about connecting and investing time and effort and love to make this child feel safe and seen. Bloody gorgeous and my favourite so far by a country mile!

I made my DS watch it

"See how he's a little swine who blocks his Mum out and sneers at her attempts to make him smile . But cheers up when he gets his MaccyD Meal........but doesn't eat his carrots"

DS looked suitably chastened (for all of 2 seconds )

I don't like it either. Glad I'm not the only one

As I said previously JL is lovely
I really like the Asda, Aldi, Lidl ones too.
M&S is ok
Sainsbury's & Boots are a bit meh
Whilst Tesco is bloody awful

Anyone remember the Sainsbury's Mog The Cat Christmas ad?
That was fabulous!

Going back to the JL ad, well most of the ad's really, they're usually made months in advance with the storyboard/ideas even further back.
It's quite a sobering thought to think even 12 months ago these businesses knew how hard times were going to be.

I absolutely loved it! I sobbed. It was just so nice.

It’s lovely. True meaning of Christmas, far more than a dancing penguin/elf/whatever.

Of course it’s incongruous with a large company for which profit is the goal, but so is everything about Christmas really.

Totally agree with this!

Better than the one they did with the boy who trashed the house

I remember reading that one company scrapped their idea and came up with something else. Can't remember which it is. I'm guessing they'd rather redo it than risk having an advert that's critisised

I really liked it

I really like it. I think it looks Christmassy in a normal way and it’s a lovely message.

I much prefer it to those over the top ads which show a massive family Christmas with about 10 people around the table having the best day ever with ‘I wish it could be Christmas every day blasting out’.

I'm with you. I think the messaging is perfect.

I like it but not the music

I think it's sentimentalising (is that a word?) the fostering process, tugging at the heart strings, romanticising what can be an incredibly difficult and traumatic situation. And the dirge music is awful.

I liked it, simple and low key

Better than some previous years - eg the boy one mentioned in pp

I think it is really beautiful..,. And absolutely about Christmas- about love. And dedication, and something wonderful happening at Christmas for people who need help....

Fine jolly jingles are lovely - but just how many times do we need to see them, how many years in a row? This actually means something!

I like the ad, but just not for Christmas. It would be great as an ad for the rest of the year. It is political and not relevant to Christmas.

Yes, times are hard. You can still have a nice Christmas by getting out your old decorations, going for a country walk and picking things to decorate your house, inviting your relatives over and pool resources, cutting down on presents and just buying tiny things or doing Secret Santa.

There is no reason to cancel Christmas. Seeing an ad with Rudolph in it, or Santa and his Elves are not going to send everyone off into a depression.

Quite frankly, what has ruined Christmas for me this year, is the constant negativity in our media and companies avoiding offending anyone by bringing about a bit of Christmas cheer.

It is also an own goal for JL. They are a struggling company. Which bit of that ad is going to get people into the shops and spending money?

It’s not my favourite one of theirs and I say this as a foster carer who has actually been through exactly what the couple have - opening the door to meet a new young person for the first time, that little glance when the doorbell goes and you’re thinking: “Shit this is it then, let’s see what happens.”

But I agree with others, the music choice literally spoils the whole thing imho.

(I’ve never yet seen a looked after young person arrive owning a skateboard tbh, but I guess she could have come from another foster placement who bought it for her).

I one hundred percent would want to support them and buy from there based on that ad

I love it.

I fucking hate the sickly whimsy of JL ads and thought this one was fine. This was not the year to show a huge upper-middle class house decked to the nines.