We all know the holiday season is only really official once the John Lewis & Partners Christmas advert hits our screens, usually around mid-November.
Ever since the launch of the first-ever John Lewis Christmas ad back in 2007, its debut has become synonymous with the start of yuletide glee. And how much do we need a bit of that this year?
From accident-prone dragons (2019) to Monty The Penguin (2014 – aka the best one. We said what we said) and lonely sentimental old men living on the moon (2015), the retailer has perfected the Christmas ad recipe over the years, so it could be said that they certainly know a thing or two about making a nation weep. Then again, this is 2020, it won’t take a lot to have us oozing from our eyeballs. We are fair, pathetic game and they know it.
What will 2020’s hotly-anticipated ad have us feeling and whose dulcet plinky-plonky tones will grace the soundtrack this year
So, what will 2020’s hotly-anticipated ad have us feeling and whose dulcet plinky-plonky tones will grace the soundtrack this year (FYI we will be shook if it’s anything less than a wholesome duet from Captain Tom and Harry Styles tbh). We have absolutely zero intel, but we thought we’d have a bloody good go at guessing anyway.
Here’s what the team predict we’ll be seeing from the John Lewis festive ad this year.
Zoe says…
Honestly one of my highlights of every year is watching the John Lewis Christmas Advert and I feel like there will be so much anticipation around this one after such a whirlwind of a year. The pressure is truly on JL, just saying. I’m hoping for something that is uplifting, wholesome and makes you shed a happy tear (I’m not sure we could withstand a man on the moon scenario this year). My guess is a classic John Lewis dreamy cover of a happy song (but possibly a lot slower) and I’m going to go with Lewis Capaldi. I love his voice and I just think a John Lewis advert song would be something he would absolutely NAIL! I’m not 100% sure on a full-frame by frame breakdown, but I do think there will be a nod to the pandemic in some way (although I do believe they would have been working and storyboarding this before March of this year, so maybe a few tweaks have happened along the way). I’m torn by this because I think they will either bring it into the advert or completely avoid it in order to give people a sense of escapism! Okay, I’m going to go with the pandemic nod. I think it will be based around the lack of being able to be physically close to our loved ones, so finding ways in which we can feel close through thoughtful gifts/funny inventive ways to see each other at Christmas? Either way, I will almost definitely love it and cry! Can’t wait to see what they do.
Danielle says…
I’m such a big JL advert fan, in fact, I get pretty fired up over most Christmas ads (I know, I know, super cool). 2018 was a bit of a miss for me, as much as I love Elton John it just didn’t bring those sweet sweet wholesome feelings the previous ads evoked so easily. They brought it back for 2019 with Edgar however I did miss the classically British Love Actually style scenes of people bundled up in scarves and hats. My absolute fave was “The Long Wait” where the little boy was SO excited for Christmas day and when the day came all he wanted to do was give his gifts which is exactly how I feel about Christmas, I’m all about the giving people.
I think it will go back to being all about love and the relationships we have with each other as the cute animals take a step back. Maybe it will be a child writing their Christmas list, pouring over it, researching for hours, but when they hand it over to their parents it’s just a list of all their family members they want to be with on Christmas day. WOW, I actually just shed a tear writing that, what a flippin year eh!
Basically, all we want this year is to be together, happy and healthy, gifts have never mattered so less. It must be SO hard for them to try and guess what kind of situation we’ll be in by the end of the year especially as they have to start working on it so far in advance. So perhaps the tagline would be something like ‘This year you’re the gift’. I hope the cover singer is female as we haven’t had one for a while, maybe Dua Lipa or Charlie XCX as they’re pretty big at the moment. My absolute dream would be Laura Marling singing Fleetwood Mac Landslide. BRING ON THE TEARS.
Charlotte says…
SO! It’s really hard to think of any sort of ad during 2020 not acknowledging the state of affairs we’re currently in, and there’s only so many ways to spin or romanticise that into feel-good magic. Having said that, John Lewis always pull on the ol’ heart strings, so I imagine this year’s ad will be the ultimate tear jerker to really make us sob. I’m kind of not ready …
I’m envisaging animals being a central theme this year, which I know is something they’ve played on before but I just feel like humans and the endless worries we’ve had to deal with might feel a little too close to home. Maybe something about animals in little packs and tribes and not letting anyone get left behind? I think it would feel weird to see masks or social distancing in what is normally such a magical storytelling experience, so I think they might go a little off-piste and surprise us with something that feels like pure escapism.
It would be fun to see them tap into some of the trends of 2020, maybe some banana bread, TikTok or toilet roll thrown in for good measure, but whatever it is I can’t wait for that little slice of normality and joy when you hit ‘play’ for the first (of many) times.
Darcey says…
There’s no doubt that this years advert will be based around the pandemic and I would put money on it being focused on a family member being alone at Christmas. Now I don’t think it will be one of the grandparents because they have done similar before with ‘The Man On The Moon’ 2015 advert. I’m imagining a university student who can’t come home for Christmas or someone who is having to isolate due to Covid and unable to see anyone. I’m thinking a whole lot of community spirit, people dropping off presents and food to them. People carolling outside their door, a heartfelt FaceTime thrown in there somewhere too. I’ve got a feeling an acoustic cover of Pretenders 2000 Miles will be playing, maybe even the Coldplay version or at least sung by someone with a beautiful wispy voice. I predict snow, lot’s of love and a whole lot of tears!
Holly says…
OK I think we all know that the theme is going to be zoom calls, being lonely etc. I’m imagining a family eating playing games, exchanging presents etc, then it pans to the nan and grandad who are all alone, missing their grandchild’s first Christmas when there’s a knock at the door, it’s the gift of technology. A kind stranger hands them a present and when they open it, its a laptop, wham bam your family are there, everyone raises a glass and we all shed a tear. And it’s an acoustic version of Jess Glynn singing I’ll be there.
Lareese says…
I know they plan the Christmas ad a good year ahead or something but no doubt they’ll find a way to make sure it’s a poignant pandemic tear-jerker. One thing’s for sure, they’re going to eat our hearts for breakfast, aren’t they! They’ve focused on animals and cute monsters a lot over the last couple of years, so I reckon they’re going to strip it back and make it all about family togetherness for 2020. Maybe some sort of socially distanced visit to wish grandpa a Merry Christmas from the nursing home window – featuring the dog he had to give up when he moved into the care home. The theme tune? Some glorious tear-jerking acoustic version of Nat King Cole Unforgettable, sung by an undiscovered TikTok star.
Maddie says…
I think if the good people at John Lewis knew what we all needed then this years advert will be 100% uplifting, be full of joy and hope for the future ahead. Where we have all felt isolated in one way or another this year I think this advert will be the antithesis of that. I think it will touch upon ways that we can all be together and be there for one another even if we can’t cross oceans or see all of our loved ones as we’re used to doing at this time of year. I think gifting will be a really minor part of the advert and rather than focusing on products it will focus on memories and moments, however small, that are the most important thing at Christmas. I would love Adele to sing the theme song, she puts a smile on the nation’s face just by being herself and is totally unapologetic which I love. She also has the voice of an angel of course and it’s been too long since we’ve heard her sing.
