The John Lewis Christmas advert for 2024 has officially arrived and judging by reactions people are a bit confused and disappointed with this year’s effort.
Last year, the high street department store charmed the masses with the absurdly cute Snapper the Venus flytrap and the year before tugged at the heartstrings as a father tried to bond with his foster daughter through skateboarding.
This year the retailer has gone back to basics and concentrated on that time-honoured tradition of the last-minute rush to buy a Christmas present for a loved one.
The advert follows Sally, a young woman who is frantically looking for a festive gift for her sister, Lauren. She winds up in John Lewis on Oxford Street, London, fifteen minutes before closing.
While searching for a gift she falls through a rack of tulle dresses and is propelled through a gargantuan wardrobe into her childhood home, Narnia-style, from where she goes on a nostalgic journey through her memories to find the perfect pressie against the clock.
On her trip, she meets younger versions of her sister, who changes age throughout the course of the ad. The two eventually reunite outside of the store, as Richard Ashcroft’s acoustic version of The Verve’s “Sonnet” soundtracks the moment and all seems well with the world.
In a three-star review, Ellie Muir in The Independent wrote: “There are a lot of blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moments that overstuff this fleeting, two-minute-long advert like a Christmas turkey.” Muir adds: “Hit replay enough times, though, and the advert is a touching homage to sisterly bonds.”
Reactions have been largely mixed to the advert thus far, with one viewer boldly calling it: “Quite comfortably the worst one yet.”
Another person said: “John Lewis ad dropped. Don’t really understand it. Like the song but another miss.”
“John Lewis Christmas ad 5/10… They clawed it back to a 10/10 with The Verve playing in the background,” added a third person, praising the use of the Britpop anthem.
Some did defend John Lewis. One person said: “Family. That’s was it is. But agree no tugging at heartstrings - which I kinda like sometimes it’s good not the play the emotional card.”
“Absolutely was not ready for the John Lewis Christmas advert,” explained one emotional viewer.
Relating to personal experience a third person wrote: “If you have just watched the John Lewis advert and you have sisters you will totally get it…I sobbed.”
