John Lewis’ 2022 Christmas advert has finally arrived - and viewers say it gave them an “emotional meltdown”.
This year, John Lewis has used its Christmas ad to raise awareness of children in care with the story of a middle-aged man learning to skateboard before welcoming a young teenager into the family home. It is set to a cover of Blink 182's All the Small Things by US artist Mike Geier.
The new advert, entitled The Beginner, lasts around 90 seconds. In the ad, the man is shown as he struggles painfully to master skateboarding in the build-up to Christmas. Viewers are left questioning the motive behind his perseverance until the final scene, which shows a social worker arriving at his door with young teenager Ellie, who has arrived at her new foster home carrying her skateboard.
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Since the advert was released this morning, viewers have been sharing their opinions online and many say it's the best Christmas advert yet. Beneath John Lewis’ announcement on Instagram, one person said: “Nope I’m GONE loved it” and a second wrote: “Beautiful, Emotional meltdown”.
A third person added: “Wow. Absolutely got it right JL... subtle, meaningful, not flashy or pretentious, but heartwarming and still very festive feeling at the same time.”
A fourth said: “It’s definitely a tear jerker but l love the simplicity of it” and a fifth wrote: “I absolutely love this advert, what amazing sentiment and an amazing cause well done. This definitely made me cry”.
A sixth person wrote: “Absolutely heart wrenching. It totally epitomises Christmas and what it should stand for. Well done.” Another added: “Best Xmas ad yet again. Currently crying in work.”
John Lewis said it understood that not all foster carers had the benefit of knowing who they would be looking after in advance and that its broader campaign also featured "authentic voices of carers" and "young people with different experiences of a complex care system".
But it said that "in a challenging year, we felt it was important to demonstrate that it's what we do that matters most", adding it was proud to use its Christmas ad to "generate conversation and action around an often overlooked issue".
The advert is almost entirely devoid of product placement except for two brief glimpses of the retailer's Lewis Bear toy. John Lewis shoppers can now stock up on festive products relating to the ad, including the £30 'Jolly' Lewis bear and £19 Lewis Bear pyjamas.
Also included in the merch is a £5 Lewis Bear tote bag and a Rampage Skateboard for £34.99. Two chosen affiliated charities will get 25% of the sales from the merchandise.
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