John Lewis Christmas Advert 2025

04 Nov 2025

If you can’t find the words, find the gift.

This year, John Lewis’s Christmas advert tells the story of a dad and his teenage son - both of whom might struggle to say how much they love each other, but through the gift of music, are able to share a moment and reconnect.

It’s a beautiful, simple Christmas message about what the season is really all about – spending quality time with loved ones. In its simplicity, it reminds me of my favourite John Lewis advert, The Long Wait, way back in 2011.

I’m so pleased to see this return to fine form from John Lewis, under the creative hands of Saatchi & Saatchi. It resonates with a truth we all know: Christmas is a time to connect with the people we love.

As children get older, it can be hard to maintain the same relationship you had when they were young. Dads and sons, in particular, don’t always have much ongoing communication throughout the year. With our fast-paced lives, slowing down and taking time together becomes more important than ever.

The son, in true teenage boy fashion, has only stuck a Post-it note to the front of the wrapped present to show it’s for his dad - but you can tell the gift itself really matters to him. It matters that his dad likes it. He can’t even find the words when his dad doesn’t see it at first, but you can feel how much it means.

When the dad opens it to find a vinyl record, we hear Alison Limerick’s Where Love Lives - and I defy any millennial or Gen X-er not to smile with nostalgia as we’re transported to a 90s crowd at the Electric Ballroom in Brixton, where he grooves to the beat.

Then, just as suddenly, the emotion shifts as Labrinth’s newly recorded version of the same song begins. We watch father and son standing together, alone in the same dance space, as the years roll away - back to when he first held his son as a baby, then when he took his first steps towards him as a toddler.

The emotion builds as we return to the present day, with the grown teenage son and his dad looking at each other with love and recognition before embracing. It’s a heartwarming moment, followed by the dad pretending to groove again and the son laughing out loud - yet another shared moment.

A simple masterpiece. Everything I want from a John Lewis Christmas advert: joy, tears, warmth, and love.

It’s also wonderful to see a father portrayed at Christmas in a role that isn’t just as a provider, a problem-fixer, or a passive observer. In a year where more male celebrities are speaking out about mental health and healthy relationships, and the culturally significant series Adolescence highlighted the importance of parents staying connected with young boys as they grow up, John Lewis showing this kind of positive relationship feels perfectly in tune with the times.

It will be interesting to see the digital activation around this year’s advert, as I can already imagine some excellent influencer collaborations built around this message. I also love that there will be shared listening spaces and pop-ups in many John Lewis stores to accompany the campaign - such a thoughtful, experiential touch.

John Lewis Partnership’s Building Happier Futures programme, which has already generated £2.8 million for charity since its launch, will again benefit from the Christmas campaign. Profits from the £14.99 vinyl record will go towards helping young people who have grown up in care to build brighter futures.

I’ll be buying it - not just because it supports a brilliant cause, but because I want to listen to an absolute classic track on Side A, followed by that same classic wonderfully reimagined on Side B. I can’t wait to be transported back to a time I know so well. In fact, I think I’ll sit and listen to it - or maybe even dance to it - with my daughter.

It turns out I actually can find the words this time. Thank you, John Lewis, for an exceptionally great start to the 2025 festive season.

Katie Skingle discusses John Lewis’ 2025 Christmas Ad across the BBC Radio network