The John Lewis Christmas advert is an ongoing television

advertising campaign An advertising campaign is a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme which make up an integrated marketing communication (IMC). An IMC is a platform in which a group of people can group their ideas, beliefs, and conc ...

released by British department store chain John Lewis & Partners in the build-up to

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...

. John Lewis & Partners launched their first Christmas advert in 2007. It has since become something of an annual tradition in the UK, and one of the signals that the countdown to Christmas has begun. The adverts tend to attract widespread media coverage and acclaim upon their release. Between 2019 and 2020, the advert has promoted both ''John Lewis & Partners'' and ''Waitrose & Partners''. The songs used in the advertising campaigns are frequently covers (excluding 2018 and 2020) of existing songs by different artists. They have often reached high positions on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

, and the original versions often receive a sales boost.

Ellie Goulding Elena Jane Goulding ( ; born 30 December 1986) is an English singer and songwriter. Her career began when she met record producers Starsmith and Frankmusik, and she was later spotted by Jamie Lillywhite, who became her manager and Artists and ...

Gabrielle Aplin Gabrielle Ann Aplin (born c. October 1992) is an English singer-songwriter. After amassing a following for her acoustic music covers on YouTube, Aplin signed a recording deal with Parlophone in February 2012. She rose to prominence the following ...

Lily Allen Lily Rose Beatrice Allen (born 2 May 1985) is an English singer-songwriter and actress. She is the daughter of actor Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen. Her music career began in 2005 when she made some of her vocal recordings public ...

Aurora An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae), also commonly known as the polar lights, is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic). Auroras display dynamic patterns of bri ...

, Tom Odell and Vaults are among the artists whose music has appeared in a John Lewis Christmas advert. In 2018, Sir

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

became the first artist to perform and star in the advert. In 2021, Lola Young was chosen to cover the 1980s hit "

Together in Electric Dreams "Together in Electric Dreams" is a song by the British singer and composer Philip Oakey and Italian composer and producer Giorgio Moroder. It was written by Oakey and Moroder and recorded for the original soundtrack of the film '' Electric Drea ...

", with a slowed down arrangement which had alt-folk duo the Portraits accusing the retailer of copying them and their version of the song recorded in 2020. London-based agency Adam & Eve/DDB have conceived the adverts since 2009. The adverts have led to some fierce competition, most notably from

Sainsbury's J Sainsbury plc, trading as Sainsbury's, is the second largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom, with a 14.6% share of UK supermarket sales. Founded in 1869 by John James Sainsbury with a shop in Drury Lane, London, the company ...

Marks & Spencer Marks and Spencer Group plc (commonly abbreviated to M&S and colloquially known as Marks's or Marks & Sparks) is a major British multinational retailer with headquarters in Paddington, London that specialises in selling clothing, beauty, home ...

and

Boots A boot is a type of footwear. Boot or Boots may also refer to: Businesses * Boot Inn, Chester, Cheshire, England * Boots (company), a high-street pharmacy chain and manufacturer of pharmaceuticals in the United Kingdom * The Boot, Cromer St ...

Campaigns

Official singles

:1. Released before 2018 Christmas advert. :2. Released before 2022 Christmas advert.

Awards

John Lewis was honoured at the 2012 IPA Effectiveness Awards for their campaigns up to that point. They were awarded the top prize which is awarded to companies "showcasing and rewarding campaigns that demonstrate their marketing payback".

References

External links

*{{official website, https://www.johnlewis.com
John Lewis TV Advert Music
Advertising campaigns British television commercials Christmas in the United Kingdom John Lewis Partnership