After much hype and plenty of anticipation, the John Lewis Christmas advert has arrived and it certainly lives up to expectations.Â
The Gifting Hour follows a woman who attempts to secure a last minute gift for her sister. She embarks on a magical journey through her past memories in a search for inspiration.Â
It is a really brilliant effort and I love it - see the three reasons why here. But how does it compare to the previous John Lewis Christmas adverts? Let’s rank them to see which is best.Â
The rating system is from one to five Jingle Bells - and is based on my personal opinion on how Christmassy the advert is, how well the storyline works, the choice of song and more. Do you agree with my ranking, let me know by emailing me: [email protected].
9. 11 - An Unexpected Guest (2021)
It was a return to the tried-and-tested for John Lewis in 2021 with this advert firmly in the Monty the Penguin, Moz the Monster, template of a young child and an out of the ordinary friend involved in a Christmas adventure - this time in the form of an alien. It has a good cover song, but does feel a tad formulaic - even if the formula is charming. Rating 3.6 Jingle Bells. | John Lewis/ YouTube Photo: John Lewis/ YouTube
10. 10 - The Bear and the Hare (2013)
Perhaps the John Lewis advert with the most iconic song - Lily Allen’s cover of Somewhere Only We Know. It was such a hit that it topped the UK single’s chart. Beautifully animated, it does feel like one of those adaptations of Julia Donaldson books that air on BBC every year. But because it is fully cartoon, it feels a bit too adrift from reality in a way the ads usually don’t. Rating: 3.75 Jingle Bells. | John Lewis/ YouTube Photo: John Lewis/ YouTube
11. 9 - Snapper (2023)
Love the song in this, Andrea Bocelli adds such a unique spin on the usual soundtrack to a John Lewis Christmas advert. More in the vein of Edgar and Buster the Boxer, featuring a bit of a chaotic element seemingly ruining Christmas, only to make it more magical in the end. It is charming, but nothing earth shattering. Rating: 3.8 Jingle Bells. | John Lewis/ YouTube Photo: John Lewis/ YouTube
12. 8 - The Long Wait (2011)
What a great advert, following a young boy who is desperately counting down the days until Christmas - trying everything possible to make the clock go faster. But the twist is he isn’t excited to open his presents, he simply can’t wait to give a gift to his parents. Rating: 4 Jingle Bells | John Lewis/ YouTube Photo: John Lewis/ YouTube