The excitement by the public and media about the advert is an example of how a brand can become part of popular culture. The release has turned into a media event in its own right, heavily discussed, shared on social media, and eagerly awaited each year.
The media and the public have been guessing when the advert will be released, especially after a teaser appeared on the retailer’s site.
The short teaser clip, created in partnership with advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi, hints at a home-focused theme. It shows a woman closing and locking a front door with a gold key, only for the doorbell to ring as she walks away. See it on their site.
John Lewis Xmas ads are a fixed point in the Christmas calendar since it first released a dedicated Christmas advert in 2027.
Since then, it has released its Xmas ad in early to mid-December up to 2013, when it changed in 2024. Its release is an unofficial sign that the Xmas countdown has begun.
It looks like the date for release will be soon, as it generally releases a teaser a few days before. Speculation gives the 5 or 12 November as the strongest release dates.
As always, the soundtrack of the ad is as highly anticipated as the ad itself. This year, fans are thinking Olivia Dean, Lily Allen and Adele, but the brand has not given anything away.
Last year, 2025, the theme was Where Love Lives and centred around a poignant father-and-son bond. A father is transported back to his 1990s clubbing days after being gifted a vinyl copy of Alison Limerick's dance anthem Where Love Lives.
In 2024, the theme was The Gifting Hour and followed a woman named Sally desperately searching for the perfect, meaningful present for her sister, Lauren, set to Richard Ashcroft’s Sonnet.
In 2023, the theme was Snapper: The Perfect Tree, which was a lighthearted and whimsical story of a young boy who accidentally raises a giant, mischievous Venus flytrap instead of a traditional Christmas tree, accompanied by a custom soundtrack from tenor Andrea Bocelli.
