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……

No. They do not want negative associations cropping up on their brand tracking. Why would they?

Trust me. 'It's like a Christmas drink driving and' is not the result they were hoping for.

exactly this - except they reconnected through a thoughtful well chosen gift - which in this case was obvs a vinyl!

This thread is so much odd. Yes it’s a bit darker than the usual ad, but personally I get it, and it made me cry.
I see the son as a, pretty typical, sullen teen who doesn’t want to talk / communicate with his parents. He’s bought a thoughtful gift as his way of showing his dad that he does love him even though he can’t express it. The toddler/ baby moment was just bloody heartbreaking!
No abuse, just normal family dynamics. And a banging tune.

Just seen it for the first time.

I don't think it's menacing at all. As someone who lives with a DH and a DS things got quite bumpy during the teen years, but overall it's a positive message that you will get through it - although it does give the very misleading impression that your teen DS ever listens to anything you say...

I guess it's a reaction from the complaints last year that there were no males in the JL ad at all.

Trust you… lol.

I’ve worked in marketing for over 20 years, I know how this works. Look at their history of controversial adverts. They know what they’re doing. It’s not a mistake when so many people are seeing seeing this. You think a whole team of people involved in making this didn’t think what so many of the public are? No. And definitely not with their history.

I work in marketing.

There is a time and place for dark, controversial ads. That time and place is not a big retail brand at Christmas.

Lots can go wrong in execution, as I've explained above

Well they've failed a bit with this one because instead of focusing on the nice products they sell people are turning it into an ITV tense family drama 😂

I just watched it and I didn't get any dark or menacing undertones. I thought it was about an awkward teen reconnecting with his dad through his gift. At no point did I think of abuse.

I am with you OP but according to X most people seem to love it!
Bring back Edgar, the little boy who couldn't wait for Christmas to give his parents their gift and the bear and the hare (in my opinion all miles better)!

That was magic.

I feel a bit bad for them as the expectations based on past performance are kinda crazy.

I just saw reconnection

I just watched it again and for me it starts with mum telling the kids to take the presents upstairs.
Dad is picking up wrapping paper from under the tree, son glances over to him, to see whether his present has been discovered I assume.
Son then gets up, picks up stuff from the table, presumably to take it upstairs as instructed by mum.
Sister looks at her brother as he walks past her.
Where exactly is the scene where everyone is watching dad anxiously?

I mean at this point couldn't they just switch this grim one out for an old one, call it a ten year anniversary advert and cut their losses?

I guess the 90s ravers are all in their mid 40s now but I really can’t imagine that very particular group are John Lewis’ target audience…odd

That's exactly what Mark Ritson (marketing guru guy) would tell them to do 😂

No, we get the point but there was no need for all the glaring and nostril flaring and grabbing of hair 😅

The context is that it’s a Christmas ad. That’s enough to know it isn’t going to be menacing.

It's quite fascinating all this fuss for a retailer that only has about 35 branches.
The vast majority of the UK population probably has never been in a branch and never will.

You thought that while watching a Christmas ad?

Never mind whether it’s a Christmas ad or not, I’m still convinced Die Hard isn’t a Christmas film <dons hard hat and takes cover>!

They start in November because this is when people start buying (or at least looking for) presents.

Nothing will beat the penguin!

I didn't understand this one. But I'm a teenage boy or a dad. Found it weird and oddly intense.

Its like a scene from a prequel of 'Adolescence' .

Yes the ad could have been for anything morbid.
It wasn't remotely 'Christmassy'.