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……

So you do understand why his son could be there then? Surely?
The real world is able to intrude on memories.

Well, you see what you see in it. I see a miserable family having a Christmas nobody wants or enjoys, where the women do the cooking & housework while the son slopes off to his room & Dad swiftly abandons tidying up to play with his new toy & feel sorry for himself.
I said he'd given up on his son because he doesn't seem to have any memories of the kid between being a little boy & being a teenager. I expect Mum spent those years doing the school run, feeding the kid

Blimey I think we've watched different adverse!
Theres no indication that mum has done all the cooking and cleaning, she just says 'shall we clear this up'. Ive been known to say that as well! Dad looks like he's about to tidy near the tree but spots his present. Why shouldnt he open it? Its clearly his present .
You dont have to wizz around and do everything instantly!

I think some of the interpretations have gone a lot deeper than the advertising agency meant! 😆 🤣

What a skewed take on life

Well, that's uplifting (not).

I think it's bloody awful.

They're all looking at the father at the beginning as if they're waiting for the next unpleasant drama to unfold; as if they never know when he might explode.

Like pp I also expected that it would turn out that the son was actually dead.

It's supposed to be about Christmas. Surely, it should be happy rather than horribly depressing.

As far as I can see there's a son who has a very distant miserable father so he buys him a record that he hopes will make his father show him a bit of affection and, goodness me, it actually works. his father gives him a hug. However, by Boxing day he's probably gone back to being the same miserable bugger he always is.

Not really sure what it's got to do with Christmas particularly. People buy present for loads of other occasions.

I fear the maker of this advertisement have ambitions to make gritty dramas for television or film. Meanwhile they're stuck making naff TV commercials.

Honestly, before I started seeing these comments I didn’t think I had to. Hence starting out with disbelief that it was necessary. I’m still convinced the poster was being faux cinfused after her reply to be honest.

I was wondering why they picked that track, of all the dance floor bangers from that era they could have chosen, it's a good song but wouldn't have been my first choice. Then I read one of the comments upthread about the lyrics and I get it now. Deep down, where love lives. Even if we seem to hate each other half the time, this, right here, under this roof is where love lives.

Just Brilliant.

What a fabulous take. Was starting to lose faith after reading a lot of the comments on this thread but yours has made me smile

I just read comments under a post on Instagram that was talking about the advert and it is a lot more positive than here which was nice to read

Awful, miserable advert, bring on Kevin the Carrot.

Seriously? I’ve just watched it again on a big screen instead of on my phone, and see no sign of walking on eggshells or placating an abuser. We barely even see the guys face.

As a now-retired market researcher (and ex-agency planner) this thread demonstrates a million times over just how hard it is to research and develop advertising!

I think it’s mainly on here that people are misinterpreting it (they can argue they aren’t but the Dad is not meant to be menacing and miserable so they are!).

All my friends (with teens) on all different WhatsApp groups today all feel the same as me - that it is moving and well done.

Do you understand how advertising works? It's supposed to invoke a feeling. There are a number people who found this uncomfortable viewing. There is zero joy in it, little dialogue that indicates anyone is having a nice time, a father who looks miserable and impatient until he puts on his record, children who look apprehensive. If Christmas for you is centering the feelings of middle aged men, knock yourself out repeat watching it.

People are allowed to interpret things however they like. There’s no right or wrong way.

Except that’s a massive misreading. None of that is in the advert.
Saying you don’t like it is an opinion and obviously valid. Misreading it is something else. Especially when it’s blindingly obvious that’s not what is intended.

Or you are in a particular bubble who appreciates that advert. I can tell you that this isn't the universal point of view from mothers with teens though.

Hmmm. That’s true (up to a point) about art and literature, but there are wrong answers. The illustration below illustrates what I mean. Look at it in context. Is it likely it’s about abuse? Or could that be a wrong interpretation based on context clues? I taught literature - you can’t just say any old thing that isn’t borne out by context.

Except he doesn’t look miserable and impatient.

This is, of course, mumsnet, where men can apparently do nothing right.

They are trying to sell the idea that one gift can really touch a raw nerve and inspire reconciliation, love and connection.

It is likely to be extremely triggering for some viewers, and unhelpful but maybe that was the idea, no doubt desperate to be remembered/head lined rather than actually providing sonething tender (which it could have been) Target audience: the middle aged.

Oh do get over your victim complex it’s nauseating coming from the ivory towers of male privilege.

I think everyone in that advert looks miserable. I think it's a shit and joyless Christmas advert.

I've not RTFT as I want to put my initial thoughts without knowing what everyone else thinks.

My interpretation is a Dad and teenage son who may have drifted from each other. Notice the Mum and daughter are getting along fine in the background. The son gives a gift that extends beyond the physical item. It takes GenX Dad back to his youth, a time before the family.

When the son appears, they are closer in age in that moment. The son 'sees' the Dad and knows him well enough to buy the perfect gift. The Dad now 'sees' the son and remembers life at that age again. The words that were difficult to express don't need to be spoken anymore. They reconnected through the music.

It’s a fucking fantastic advert for me.
The choon belts a Gen X right in the face and evokes strong memories of younger, freer days. The teenager being a teenager is relatable and the connecting magic of music is right there. I love it.

What on earth do you mean? Are you assuming I’m male because I disagree that the dad looks like an abuser?

This is a joke, right?

Oh for god’s sake. No-one is suggesting a they’ve deliberately made an ad about a menacing abusive dad. We’ve said the acting, style and tone is suggestive of that. So we think they’ve done a bad job with the story.