Most of us have done it, or are planning on doing it this year. You're not sure what they'd like, so you put cash in the card and hope it lands.
John Lewis has built its 2026 Christmas advert, its 20th, around that familiar moment. Even its own marketing director, Rosie Hanley, owns up: “I've definitely resorted to putting cash in an envelope for fear of getting it wrong.”
This year's ad, Gloria and Pickles, has a simple message: “Don't give up on giving.” Why does it work so well? Short answer: it knows exactly who it's talking to.
A brief history of the John Lewis Christmas ad
For many people in the UK, that familiar Christmas feeling starts the morning John Lewis releases its ad. But it definitely took them a few years to get there.
2007 to 2010: finding the format.
The first ad, Shadows, was a £6 million campaign with no cover song and no emotional ending. In 2008, Clues tried a cover of a well-known song. By 2009, The Feeling had found the formula: a soft cover of a familiar song and a story about giving.
2011 to 2016: the peak.
The Long Wait added a twist. The boy counting down to Christmas morning isn't waiting to open his presents; he can't wait to give his parents theirs. Then came a run of hits: the snowman, the bear and the hare, Monty the penguin, the man on the moon, Buster the boxer. Two of those songs reached UK number one. In 2012, John Lewis won the top prize at the IPA Effectiveness Awards, which reward advertising that proves it pays back.
2017 to 2025: searching for the next big idea.
Monsters, a dragon, an alien, Elton John. Creative agency Saatchi & Saatchi took over in 2023. From 2024, the ads turned back to people and the stress of choosing the right gift. In 2025, Where Love Lives showed a dad connecting with his teenage son through a shared memory. That set up 2026.
Explore the John Lewis Christmas advert archive and the 2026 campaign announcement.
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