This year’s John Lewis campaign is set to take a new direction
John Lewis’s Christmas advert for 2025 should drop soon(Image: John Lewis)
John Lewis shoppers are eagerly anticipating the release of the retailer’s annual Christmas advert, with a teaser expected to drop any day now. This year’s campaign is set to take a new direction.
According to Campaign, the John Lewis Partnership (JLP) has revised its approach for Christmas 2025, opting for standalone adverts for both John Lewis and Waitrose rather than a connected series. This festive season also marks the debut of Wonderhood Studios’ first Christmas advert for Waitrose.
Earlier this year, Campaign revealed that Saatchi & Saatchi had relinquished its exclusive creative agency role on the Waitrose account.
The supermarket has instead chosen Wonderhood to produce its summer and Christmas campaigns.
Saatchi & Saatchi created the last two Waitrose Christmas ads, while Wonderhood Makers handled the brand’s social films in 2024.
Despite the change, Saatchi & Saatchi will continue producing the John Lewis Christmas advert this year, having taken over the JLP account from Omnicom’s Adam & Eve/DDB in 2023.
When asked about the change in strategy, a JLP spokesperson declined to comment.
They told Campaign: “We’re lucky to have lots of speculation around our ads – most of it inaccurate – and our one rule is never to comment on any aspect, simply because we want to keep the magic alive at Christmas.”
When does the John Lewis Christmas 2025 advert come out?
While the release date of the 2025 John Lewis Christmas advert hasn’t been confirmed, past launches suggest it could arrive soon.
Traditionally, the retailer unveils the ad in the first or second week of November – always on a Thursday.
Last year’s premiered on November 14, and the year before on November 9 – meaning this year’s could land as early as Thursday, November 6.
Currently, the John Lewis website reads: “It’s nearly that time. Members can watch our new Christmas ad first – only on our app.”
John Lewis’ 2024 Christmas advert, which follows a woman frantically buying a last-minute gift for her sister in the memory-strewn tear-jerker, The Gifting Hour(Image: John Lewis/PA Wire )
The 2024 campaign, The Gifting Hour, tugged at heartstrings.
It followed Sally, a woman rushing to buy a last-minute present for her sister at the Oxford Street flagship store – the first time a John Lewis store had featured in the brand’s festive ad.
After tripping through a rack of dresses, Sally was transported to the attic of her childhood home, where she revisited memories of growing up with her sister while searching for the perfect gift.
In the final scene, Sally reunited with her sister outside the store, handing her the wrapped present.
As they walked away, her sister’s reflection in the shop window appeared as the child from her memories.
