A small-scale Christmas advert from Yorkshire musician Sam Clegg has captured the nation’s attention, leaving viewers “crying buckets”.
Inspired by John Lewis’ iconic festive campaigns, the three-minute video, which Clegg says cost just £400 to produce, has already garnered nearly 400,000 views online.
The advert, set to Clegg’s own holiday ballad Angel on the Tree, charts the story of a couple across decades, from the 1970s to their twilight years.
It opens with a young pair taking polaroid photographs of each other to hang on their Christmas tree, and follows them dancing together in front of a fireplace, full of promise and hope. Then, in a gutting turn, the story fast-forwards 50 years. The woman’s husband has died, and we see her visiting his grave.
In a hauntingly poetic moment, the spirit of her lost husband is glimpsed in a passing fox. Back home, she cherishes the polaroid's from their early years, and as the advert draws to a close, she recreates their dance alone, tears in her eyes, alongside the ghost of her partner.
The advert’s ending is a sobering reminder of loneliness among older people, noting that 1.4 million older adults in the UK will spend Christmas alone. Clegg encourages viewers to purchase the accompanying charity single on iTunes and Amazon, with proceeds going towards organisations tackling isolation and providing companionship during the festive season.
Social media has been flooded with emotional reactions. One shared: “Omg I’m crying buckets.. I miss my husband soo much, he was my soulmate, he was only fifty five.”
Other viewers echoed similar sentiments: “This is so poignant right now and has made me become quite emotional,” and: “This advert is so touching. It made me cry so much.”
Clegg, who first began creating alternate John Lewis-style adverts during lockdown, explained the inspiration behind his festive campaigns. “The whole idea of it started during lockdown because at the time I was 21 and I had these feelings of loneliness, as did a lot of people during lockdown.
“So, I thought, I can do something creative while raising awareness, especially at Christmas time when things are heightened,” he told the Daily Mail. He also reflected on the influence of the John Lewis adverts that came before him. “I remember it was the 2012 advert, The Snowman, and it was the only one that hit me emotionally…”
Clegg’s festive campaigns have become an annual tradition. In 2020, one of his adverts about an old man and his dog went viral, and last year’s Robin advertisement achieved over two million views, with the accompanying track Send Me a Sign reaching number two on the Official Big Top 40 chart.
