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……

It's weird. I think it's that the dad realises that the baby and toddler he remembers is now grown up and actually knows who his dad is e.g. what music he likes? Massively hits wrong note. (And has the present been forgotten or is dad taking a sneak preview? Unclear.)

Doesn't make me want to particularly buy anything from John Lewis though.

She wants them to get the presents off the table. That’s what she says. Presumably for a lovely Christmas dinner, but ok, you assume she wants it all done with and hates Christmas if you like…

I’ve only skimmed through the thread but I haven’t seen any posters who actually haven’t understood what JL was trying to get across. I just think many of us are baffled by their execution of it. For me it’s more depressing than uplifting.

Quite a few posters thought the son or the dad was dead on first watch, so I'd say several people haven't understood.

Not unclear at all! The ad opens with the mum asking the kids to clear the presents of the table and the dad clears up discarded present wrapping from under the tree before finding a present that been overlooked. How did you miss that?

This was my thought too, my eyes did well up a bit so job done!

I think people were understandably saying that they thought one of them was going to turn out dead during the dance floor scene when they were disappearing (it was a weird scene!), but it was clear by the end that wasn’t the case.

It’s an odd thing g to expect. I didn’t think that because I didn’t expect it - even though I watched after some people thought there was death involved.
People seem to have approached watching it a bit weirdly and be seeing things they have invented.

How is it not unclear if posters are telling you that that is what they thought? I thought it had the notes of a - don't walk on train tracks - safety advert, although I didn't think that there had been an actual death. But if John Lewis has created such a shitty advert that some people can't tell what it is doing - it has entirely failed in its job - with its grey attempt at social work.

I wonder if the writer was inspired by Breeders, I did like it and now have an earworm.

My dad died 25+ years ago when I was a teen, what I would give to have him back and his silly dances and hugs.

No he doesn’t. You’re looking for things that aren’t there.
Sorry. That was for the poster that said the dad looks moody. That isn’t what the advert is about.

Why is it an odd thing to expect? A scene where a character in someone’s imagination fades away into darkness? It’s not that much of a reach surely.

Anyway it’s just a brief moment on first watching, doesn’t affect the overall interpretation of the ad.

Things can be u clear to observers for 2 reasons.

1. they aren’t very clear
2. the people aren’t watching properly - possibly because they have their own agenda, possibly lack of concentration, possibly issues of comprehension In this case I think it’s 2. You could argue ads should be clear even when half watching, but people on this thread watched it with purpose, surely? In which case I’m not sure how they are missing the obvious unless they want to.

I'm laughing at the posters who thinks noone understands the message. Of course everyone does it's just the way it's portrayed. To me it looks like they aren't having a merry Christmas until the dad puts his record on. Looks like everyone is on edge. I like adverts that make me feel Christmassy. This didn't.

The characters don’t fade away into darkness. The random clubbers do.
And anyway that’s not expectation. Why would you expect (and therefore read that way) a Christmas ad to be about death?
Smacks of trying to dislike it deliberately. Which is fine. But don’t blame the ad, just say you don’t like Christmas, or Christmas ads, or JL Christmas ads, or whatever

It’s a truly horrible advert.

What agenda would people come to with a Christmas advert? This isn't a party political broadcast here - what agenda are you accusing them of viewing this through the lens of?

It’s really not that difficult! The son has bought his dad a vinyl recording of a song he danced to when he was younger!! Jeez.

Me?
I mean they are approaching it wanting to dislike it. Or putting their own feelings about Christmas/Christmas ads/JL onto it.

Why?
It’s about a moment of connection between a dad and his son. Why’s that horrible?

My first thought when i saw the line at the end - but can i actually buy that tune at john lewis?! Haaaaa!

I love Christmas and Christmas adverts, I'm a Christmas nerd. This is an advert for people who can barely tolerate Christmas.

Interesting reading everyone’s thoughts on it . I think it is going to make me cry every time I watch it as my DS 23 left home on Friday and my Mum passed a month ago . To me it is about the passage of time. The flashbacks of the son as a baby and toddler are the moving bits . I don’t like the music though would have preferred something like Atlantic Ocean. Waterfall or haddaway what is love .