John Lewis Christmas campaigns: Watch all the ads from the past 7 years

Take a trip down memory lane with our handy round-up of some of John Lewis’s most prominent and popular festive campaigns.

When it comes to Christmas, some say the countdown doesn’t officially start until John Lewis’s ad hits our screens. And get ready to start feeling festive, as the retailer’s Moz The Monster campaign, created by its long-running agency partner adam&eveDDB, was finally launched this morning (10 November).

But, I hear you say, how could I possibly judge this year’s creation without seeing ads from previous years? Not to worry – we’ve got you covered. We’ve created a handy round-up of some of John Lewis’s most prominent and popular festive campaigns.

2017: Moz The Monster

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jw1Y-zhQURU

The two-minute advert tells the story of a young boy called Joe who is kept awake by a seven-foot imaginary monster called Moz who lives under his bed. The two form a friendship and play together every evening, but staying awake through the night starts to take its toll on Joe, who can hardly keep his eyes open during the day. For Christmas, Joe receives the gift of a night light which helps him sleep – but this does mean Moz disappears.

2016: Buster The Boxer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sr6lr_VRsEo

Last year’s ad featured a little girl called Bridget whose trampoline becomes popular among the local wildlife community – much to the annoyance of household pet Buster. But come Christmas morning he gets his big chance and excitedly pushes past a surprised Bridget to joyously jump on her present trampoline.

2015: Man on the Moon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuz2ILq4UeA

John Lewis’s Christmas ad for 2015 was decidedly less upbeat compared to the previous year. It tells the story of a young girl, Lily, who uses the family telescope to find a man living on his own on the moon. Concerned that he will spend Christmas on his own she finds a way to send him the perfect gift. Aldi was quick to capitalise on the ad’s popularity by launching a spoof in response.

2014: Monty The Penguin

Monty The Penguin could be considered one of John Lewis’s biggest Christmas successes. The ad, which shows the story of young boy Sam and his imaginary friend Monty, helped push sales up over the festive season 4.8%, while the TV ad racked up more than 7 million views on social media within 24 hours. It’s easy to see why – only the coldest of hearts would shun a lonely penguin looking for love.

2013: The Bear & The Hare

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqWig2WARb0

In 2013, the retailer decided to turn its hand to animation for its festive extravaganza. The ad features two characters, a bear and a hare, one of which has never seen Christmas. As the other woodland animals prepare for the big day, bear goes into hibernation, but is awoken by a present from hare that enables him to see his first Christmas.

2012: The Journey

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0N8axp9nHNU

Another unforgettable Christmas ad is the retailer’s 2012 campaign ‘The Journey’. It sees a snowman go on a tiring quest across the country – much to the shock of his icy partner. Naturally, he ends up finding her the perfect gift at John Lewis.

2011: The Long Wait

It was its 2011 ad that officially kicked off John Lewis’s winning streak in the annual Christmas ad battle. The Long Wait features a young boy getting increasingly impatient in the run-up to the big dag. Only on Christmas morning does the viewer discover his pre-Christmas grumps were simply because he couldn’t wait to give his parents their present.

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