John Lewis Christmas advert 2024 breaks from song tradition in emotional family story

The sweet two-minute advert, produced by Saatchi & Saatchi, is centred around two sisters, one of whom is looking for the perfect gift for the other.

While browsing John Lewis before close, Sally stumbles upon a magical door which allows her to dive into her memories to try to find that special item her sister will love.

The song to accompany the advert is The Verve's Sonnet, performed in an emotional acoustic version by Richard Ashcroft – and there is a significant break from tradition to go along with the track, which you can read about below.

Last year, we met Snapper the Venus flytrap, who won over hearts with his unusual but completely loveable behaviour.

Without further ado, read on to find out everything you need to know about the John Lewis Christmas advert 2024.

And you can watch the advert below:

When is the John Lewis Christmas advert 2024 released?

The John Lewis Christmas advert was released on Thursday 14th November.

We correctly predicted it would either land on the first or second Thursday of the month, and an Instagram post from the retailer confirmed it would be the latter.

What is the John Lewis Christmas advert 2024 about?

The advert is centred around two sisters, one of whom is looking for the perfect gift for her sister.

While she's struggling to find a present, and the shops are due to close, our main character Sally finds a door behind a rack of dresses which transports her back to her memories from childhood.

She speaks with her sister throughout the years, debating whether she should have jewellery or clothes.

Sally recounts all her memories from the past, good and bad, including her sister giving birth to her nephew, the pair arguing over stolen clothes and drunken wintry catch-ups.

The advert comes to a close as Sally returns to John Lewis, just in the nick of time, with the perfect present all wrapped up and ready to give to her sister, who just so happens to be outside.

The sister asks what took Sally so long, to which she replies: "You!"

The final shot shows the tagline: “The secret to finding the perfect gift? Knowing where to look.”

The Verve's Richard Ashcroft provides the song for the advert, which is an acoustic version of Sonnet.

Viewers will have a chance to recreate the song this year in a break from tradition. Usually, the song is a cover, but this time John Lewis is asking people to make their own covers, with the chance to win some amazing prizes, including the opportunity to record their cover to go out in a special version of the advert on Christmas Day.

Charlotte Lock, Customer Director for John Lewis, said: “The secret to finding the perfect gift is knowing where to look. Our ad heroes the thoughtful gift-giver and celebrates ‘the gifting hour’, the moment when you go a little deeper in your heart and in our stores to find something really special and meaningful for the ones you love.

"Our shops are the beating heart of our brand and our customers love the ritual of Christmas shopping there - so we wanted to give the store a starring role in our ad for the first time.

“This year the John Lewis Christmas advert features an original song rather than a cover track, and we’re offering the nation the chance to put their own stamp on it and become the ultimate cover star. So whether your style is pop, indie, country or R&B - we can’t wait to hear your take on Sonnet.”

Franki Goodwin, Chief Creative Officer at Saatchi & Saatchi, said: “We’ve all been there - time’s running out, and you’re still looking for the perfect gift for someone in your life who’s impossible to shop for. That’s why I believe viewers will truly connect with our heroine - as she dives into a rack of dresses, exploring her memories in search of that special gift.

“The Gifting Hour is a glorious visual and emotional feast which is both grown-up and childlike at the same time. Our chosen track, Richard Ashcroft’s Sonnet, is a memory for anyone who grew up in the '90s – and the fact we’ve not chosen a cover version really leans into the nostalgia. We are delighted, however, to invite the nation to cover the track for Christmas Day, in a wonderful twist on the magic John Lewis formula."

What was last year's John Lewis Christmas advert?

While speculation was rife about what last year's advert would contain, no one could expect it to be about a Venus flytrap.

A young boy, called Alfie, stumbles upon the kit to grow the perfect Christmas tree, so he puts it to the test – but when it sprouts, he discovers it's not a Christmas tree at all, but a Venus flytrap.

Nonetheless, Alfie falls in love with his carnivorous plant, and the pair go out of their way to convince his family to ditch the usual tree in favour of Snapper.

His family don't quite have the same fondness they have, especially when the family pooch nearly finds itself in Snapper's mouth, and the plant's sadly cast outside.

Enter the gut-wrenching scene where Snapper paws at the window, longing to be with his friend.

The family realise he's quite special indeed, and decide to bring presents outside to him for him to guard.

But he ends up eating them in a comical moment - only to reveal he can munch up the packaging and deliver the right gifts to the right people! How handy.

The advert had an original song on it, as well, with Andrea Bocelli performing Festa for the fun festive offering.

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