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……

You understand that people can be comfortable and able to communicate normally but then have phases/stages/circumstances in their lives that might make it difficult for a bit? Even with people they love and trust? That’s a pretty basic part of human interaction to be honest. I don’t believe anyone who says there are never any disagreements or awkwardness between them and people they love.

Again. You interpret not smiling and talking as misery and centring the middle aged dad and everyone being anxious. That’s what I said wasn’t in the advert. Obviosuly they aren’t talking and smiling. But it doesn’t mean miserable, terrified awkwardness!

As I’ve said before I don’t have teenagers, never had a son and to add t9 that I brought my daughter up as a single parent. My understanding and liking of the ad isn’t because I’m trying to convince myself my shit husband and badly parented boys are actually fine. I think it’s pretty condescending and nasty that you would suggest that to anyone.
Equally I just don’t believe there have never been any periods of awkwardness between you and your loved ones. You would have to live a really shallow, surface life for that to be the case, wouldn’t you?

Me: 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.

You: 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.

Operative words: None of that is in the advert. Which is why I listed what is going on in the advert and the behaviours I observed. Including the parts where they are smiling and talking.

You claim I can't possibly see any of the negativity because it is a Christmas ad so "that's not what was intended". I assume you mean that, knowing it's a Christmas ad, I must be prejudiced in favour of it being a positive depiction. The flaw in that line being that, watching it cold, nobody knows that it's an ad for John Lewis, let alone a "Christmas ad" until they get to the end of it.

The advert's long lead up to the final scene has to have a point. The point being that the JL present re-ignites a connection between father and son that has been lost. To do that there had to be a distance in the first place. The expressions and behaviour up until the end serve the purpose of creating a picture of disconnect/nervousness/melancholy. These are not neutral expressions. They are setting up a picture that is definitely not joy.

Ew really? I thought he looked like he needed a good wash-and a shave wouldn't have gone a miss either 😆I agree with others that he looked intense and moody.

It's not menacing, it's lovely. Portrays the disconnection with teens at the beginning that you see writ large in threads on these boards day after day.

I agree except it's not a "long" lead at all. There is so much conveyed in mere seconds between two characters, it's a micro play and pretty well done, for an advert, IMO!

I saw the Pandora ad soon after. How saccharine and fake. 🤢

Awww the lovely Christmassy disconnection with teens that some feel. Makes me wanna go and spend spend spend!

It probably does actually for some people. Out of guilt. You have hit the nail on the head, if slightly sideways.

I didn't find it remotely menacing and I'm a notable wuss. I just thought it was a bit dull compared to some of their previous efforts.

I’ve just watched it, and I didn’t think it was menacing either. I have teenagers but they are a bit younger and aren’t (yet?) sullen and awkward, but I can still see it for what it is and appreciate the message of a gift bringing people together.

In our house and immediate family, it’s the giver that gets the gift from under the tree and hands it to the receiver and says “merry Xmas”, watches them open it, gets a thank you hug afterwards. So a “forgotten” gift wouldn’t mean the giver feels upset that the receiver didn’t care enough to open it. But that doesn’t mean I can’t see that situation could arise in someone else’s home and family dynamic.

Also the point made upthread about the fact it isn’t advertising what they sell, the home looks head to toe JL. I wonder if all the furniture, the tree and decorations, the art on the walls etc are all JL products. It’s giving that vibe.

I like that there is a balance of different adverts for different stores at Christmas. If they were all camp, over the top and sugary it would be boring and irritating.

John Lewis are opening Rough Trade (a long established independent record label / shop) concessions in their stores so maybe they're trying to appeal to that market.

The advert would have been better then to show the boy going to the Rough Trade concession and choosing and buying the record.
The fact so many on this thread have said "Do John Lewis even sell vinyl" they should be making it obvious that actually they do.

But they manage to reconnect through music, the son buying his Dad a thoughtful present. It is a little sad (when the young versions of the son appears that’s when it got me (and many of my friends).

I think it’s well known the teenagers pull away from parents in order to
find their own identity - this is healthy and necessary (despite what some posters on here say). I’ve found fathers can take this harder than mothers.

And then they kind of found a way back to each other. With music. A present, a hug. Sometimes these things say more than words.

It doesn’t need to be all happy and schmaltzy with everyone smiling by and talking constantly to be a good advert. I like the sadness as it was happy at the end….

JL have got too big for their boots over the years with the Christmas ad, and have taken the wrong decision to engage increasingly wanky advertising agencies to create something ‘edgy’ and different.

Last year’s effort with the sisters was total rubbish, but this year’s is the worst yet. It has such a melancholy feeling from the start. I felt that the underlying narrative was that the Dad had mental health issues and that there was a lot of strain within the family. When the son appears blank-faced on the dancefloor and the music stops, I really thought one of them had died. Rubbish song to use too IMO, it’s hardly a classic.

It’s a dreadful concept for a Christmas ad. It’s the one time of the year that we do want things to be heart-warming and uplifting. Not some bleak crap created by ‘cool’ millennials in a co-working space in Hoxton 🙄

I really think I’ve seen a different advert to some of the posters on here. Family Christmas, everyone is tidying up. Son is a bit sad because dad didn’t spot his present and it’s something he put a lot of thought into. Dad finds it when he’s cleaning under the tree puts the record on and it transports him, while son watches a bit nervously (because he wanted to get the gift right) to see if he likes it. Through the memories dad realises it’s from the son who is watching awkwardly and the two of them connect through music and a thoughtful gift.

There is nothing remotely sinister or menacing about it, no indication of a family affected by mental illness or domestic abuse.

It probably does speak to a certain demographic musically, in the same way as an Abba song would, maybe that doesn’t help some people.

If a child has purchased a gift that they are very excited for parent to receive there is no way it would get left behind/forgotten under the tree. They would excited for it to be opened to see parent reaction. I don’t feel the scenario is typical/normal and actually does make it look as if child is anxious/scared of father.

Well it's certainly got people talking so a success in that respect.
Don't like it personally as I think the boy looks scared and the whole thing is gloomy,but I was never a clubber and don't know the song so can't really relate.

taken the wrong decision to engage increasingly wanky advertising agencies to create something ‘edgy’ and different.

some bleak crap created by ‘cool’ millennials in a co-working space in Hoxton

JL’s agency this year is Saatchi & Saatchi. Which is based in Chancery Lane.

I’m sure the execs there would love to be thought of as cool, edgy millennnials, but I’d put money on the agency being a lot more established than that!

FYI, one of the first measure of success of a piece of advertising is the impact that it creates. And as we can see from the amount of discussion on this thread alone, it has well achieved that.

Well that is indeed why some spend a lot on their kids at christmas

I felt the nub of the idea would have come from the age group of the father, gen x

I took the awkward looks to mean that the son is really embarrassed about showing his father that he loves him.

”Nothing remotely sinister or menacing about it”
What about the bit where the boy appears on the dance floor, the dad looks stricken and it fades to black?
100% vibes of ‘don’t drink and drive at Christmas, it could cost a life’
Added screenshots but they may not post straight away!

I didn’t think that at all, it’s obviously about reconnecting with family through thoughtful gifts.

I do find it a bit depressing though. I hate being reminded of how my now little kids will grow more distant from me as they age.

Bring back the fun adverts!!!