Why’s the John Lewis’ Xmas Ad so bloody menacing!

[Purplefoo]

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2025/nov/04/john-lewis-christmas-advert-countdown-90s-club-classic-where-love-lives

I genuinely thought it was about an abusive dad or a murderous son at first! So intense……

I’ve just rewatched to see if I can see anything menacing it it and I really can’t.

Son looks anxious, dad looks confused then happy. It’s intense but not “dark”.

I think the way some posters have seen it explains a lot about all the weird posts on here where people don’t seem to be able to relate to people or communicate- they see bad in everyone and can’t read body language at all.

It made me blub more the second time actually.

You and others didn't, I and others did. I don't think adverts can fill in every single bit of info for every potential gap in a viewers knowledge. The fact that they're featuring a record makes it pretty clear they sell records.

She doesn’t. She looks concerned and sympathetic because she can see her brother is sad x probably even knows about the present.
Not sure how anyone is seeing fear or people treading on eggshells to be honest.

I thought it was a nice ad.

I'm guessing they are hinting at the son ND and the distance that can grow between a teenage boy and his dad. It's a lovely moment between and dad and son.

Christmas doesn't always have to be about little kids opening the latest plush toy present.

We're all talking about it though.

And as eldest son wants a record player for Christmas, yes, it's put the fact that JL sells them in my mind.

I think the issue with the Ad is that is does not have universal appeal. Those of us of a certain age (so the clubbing scene / song really hits with the nostalgia) and have older teenage sons will find something in the advert that really hits home but other people just wont get the same impact.

I think also it showed that Christmas isnt always a full house or little kids running around playing with shiny toys. Lots of people spend christmas as a nuclear family and when they are teens it can be hard to try and recreate the magic of other christmas years and the ad was trying to show that connection is just as important as a 'party' style christmas.

I have just watched it again after reading this thread and at no point did I think anyone look angry or terrified.

It’s a lovely advert and to the pp above yes it would make me shop in JL more so than some other Christmas adverts of recent years (Waitrose, Boots and M&S come to mind)

Can imagine the meeting to talk about it:

• Shall we have something about men, and connecting?
• Yeah, and vinyl. I'll knock something up

-. Aye, that'll do

Pile of shite if you ask me 😂

I think the son is supposed to look anxious because he's feeling awkward about the gift - hence why it's still tucked under the tree unopened (if he wasn't feeling awkward about it, then it would have been opened already).

I'm crying after watching it! Think it hit the right spot on me.

'I'm guessing they are hinting at the son ND and the distance that can grow between a teenage boy and his dad. It's a lovely moment between and dad and son.'

Yes the idea may have been well intentioned but the reality is totally naff. The silly little dad dance at the end and the smarmy dad's face. The idea is passable but the try hard actor's over acting is so wtf.

Oh for that cute dragon.

Not really.
I know they are a department store.
I don't know all the departments.
As a department store they need to make it more obvious via their advertising what their different departments (or concessions) are. These Christmas adverts never really do that for me.

Yeah, we are talking about it but it isn't inspiring me to shop in John Lewis. I guess the proof will be in the figures but I expect competing department stores just heaved a sigh of relief.

My teenage son's expression was usually a mixture of contempt and exasperation. He never looked anxious like the boy in the ad.

The thing with the JL Christmas advert now is that it is an event and a talking point - doing a standard Christmassy ad that ticks all the usual boxes isn't really what they do. They've got to keep changing it up, an ad that everyone likes universally is probably way less effective for them than one that creates a bit of a debate. Some people going "oh I loved it it really spoke to me" and others going "eh?" is probably exactly what they're reaching for.

Omg !! Gave me the chills - in a good way !!!
amazing - but it is my song !!
this is for my generation !
absolutely loved it !! And I never enjoy Xmas ads !!

I think we all get it, it’s not exactly hard to understand. The message is a good one, but for me they haven’t quite delivered on it. Very weird vibe.

Thinking about it again I think they all looked bored and fed up in the advert.
The mum wanted to tidy up (aka get rid of Christmas).
If everything in the advert is supposedly sold in John Lewis what is it saying....even if you buy everything from them your Christmas will still be boring and you want it to be over 😂😂😂

Well clearly not everyone does get it @ProfessionalPirate!

The other thing I’d add, which I think is important, is the power of a small gift. It doesn’t have to be expensive headphones or jumpers - just one vinyl record that becomes so meaningful.

I think you’ve misunderstood. I am not ‘upset’ about anything. I just think the ad is rubbish

Vinyl records are quite expensive.

Well, there you go. I am a gen Xer with teenage boys and somehow we haven't withered Christmas into a grim pity party. Maybe I should stay in my lane and shop somewhere more jolly?

Another point is that the cut-through of regular TV advertising is just way way down on what it used to be - I don't watch broadcast TV at all these days so whatever ads M&S, Tesco etc have put out I'm just not likely to see. Whereas I've now seen the JL ad because we're discussing the JL ad. So now JL have imprinted themselves as a Christmas retailer in my head whereas the others haven't had any opportunity to do so.

I think as a Christmas ad it’s bloody awful. I even used to rave to that song (in Manchester of course 🙌) and I have young adult children, but this is intense and try hard and somewhat depressing. If I’m their target market they’ve missed me completely.

I like it, it's also making people talk so it's done it's job.