John Lewis Christmas advert 2020: how to watch this year’s promo, who sings on it - and the department store’s best Xmas ads from the past

The festive season is likely going to feel very different this year, and coronavirus restrictions mean there might not be the same big Christmas build-up that we’ve become accustomed to.

Yet, we can still rely on the release of the John Lewis Christmas advert to deliver some kind of festive feeling – and 2020’s offering did not disappoint.

In fact, it is like no other John Lewis advert released before.

The Partnership dropped the short film on the morning of Friday 13 November, and watchers were reduced to tears over their breakfast due to the emotional story line.

As John Lewis previously hinted, the advert, titled “Give a Little Love”, is based on the unprecedented events of this year and shines a light on the kindness of the British public during the pandemic.

Through the campaign, the partnership is aiming to raise £4 million for charity, and it has pledged to match all customer donations up to £2 million.

So, what is the John Lewis Christmas advert this year, which charities does it support and why has everyone been crying when watching it?

What is the 2020 John Lewis Christmas advert?

The advert was inspired by the “spirit and thoughtfulness” of people and communities during the coronavirus crisis, and was intended to be “like no other, for a year like no other”.

Focusing on community kindness throughout, the advert opens with a boy whose football has become stuck in a tree. A girl sees his problem and manages to kindly knock it down with a heart-shaped umbrella – and the events of the short film begin to unfold, moving through a series of acts of kindness.

The advert is made up of nine different vignettes, featuring different characters and created by eight different artists in a nod to the creative industries which have been hit hard by the pandemic.

The scenes, switching from live action to various styles of animation, claymation and CGI, are connected to create a long chain of giving, as each section passes the campaign’s heart emblem on to the next part of the film.

This story line illustrates how acts of kindness can multiply and positively impact the world as we pass them on to others.

The advert, in true John Lewis fashion, is a mixture of emotional and heartwarming, mirroring the real feelings experienced by communities during the coronavirus crisis.

In a step away from the usual advert traditions, instead of a single production team, multiple artists were chosen to work on the film to give employment to many people across the industry.

In another change, for the first time the advert includes a specially commissioned song that was written and recorded by British soul singer, Celeste, titled A Little Love, with 10p from each download of the song to be given to charity.

What charities does the John Lewis advert 2020 support?

John Lewis has partnered with food poverty charity FairShare and parental support charity Home-Start, and funds raised by the campaign will aim to help at least 100,000 vulnerable and struggling families with food, comfort and emotional support.

A complementary 30 second advert has also been produced as a direct call to support the two charities.

Customers will be encouraged to “give a little love” in five different ways - making a charity donation, buying campaign products with 100 percent of profit donated to the charities, using their loyalty card to increase the Partnership’s donation, giving a little love to someone they know who needs it, and helping in their local community.

How can I watch the John Lewis advert?

You can watch the new advert at the top of this article, or via the John Lewis & Partners’ YouTube channel.

Expect to see it on TV multiple times over the coming weeks.

What have the previous John Lewis adverts been about?

The first ever John Lewis advert was released in 2007, and since then the retailer has dropped a slew of iconic short films, with some of the most popular from the last five years.

2019

Excitable Edgar proved a hit with audiences last year, with fans scrambling to purchase the soft toy dragon released by the retailer to coincide with the campaign.

The 2019 advert follows Edgar as he tries to join in his town’s festive activities - only to accidentally set fire to everything he gets excited about.

He becomes an outcast in his village thanks to the chaos he has caused, but all hope is not lost as his friend Ava is determined to include him.

She presents Edgar with a Christmas pudding, which he sets alight to the delight of his neighbours - and he becomes the star of the town.

2018

John Lewis’s first celebrity star made an appearance in 2018’s offering, courtesy of Sir Elton John.

The film, set to Elton’s Your Song, looks back at the singing legend’s life and career, ending with a four-year-old Elton unwrapping his first piano, a gift from his grandmother, on Christmas day.

The advert intended to show how the perfect gift can transform a person’s life.

2017

Not all children are terrified of the monster under the bed, and this year’s advert set out to prove that.

A child develops a close bond with his imaginary - and cuddly - monster, Moz - showing how pure children’s friendships are.

While this advert wasn’t particularly emotional, the underlying message proved popular with viewers.

2016

This advert strayed away from John Lewis’s usual tear-jerkers, featuring a more humorous storyline.

The loveable Buster the Boxer is the star of the show, with the simple story focusing on the excitement the dog feels about trying out his family’s trampoline, aftering seeing all the neighbourhood animals having fun on it before him.

2015

Perhaps one of John Lewis’s most famous adverts is 2015’s emotional offering, which highlighted the prevalence of elderly loneliness at Christmas time.

It shows an old man living on the moon who develops a friendship with a young girl on Earth, proving how companionship is vitally important to older generations.

Fans were reduced to floods of tears when this advert was released - which is perhaps why John Lewis decided to opt for a more light-hearted storyline the following year!