Any regular at John Lewis knows that the arrival of November 1 signals we’re just weeks, perhaps even days, away from the unveiling of their annual Christmas advert.
The good news is, there’s a teaser trailer to keep us entertained in the meantime. In collaboration with Saatchi and Saatchi for this brief snippet, the retailer, known for home furnishings, fashion, beauty and tech, has centred their narrative around a striking pink jumper.
You might want to have your tissues at the ready, as it’s quite the emotional rollercoaster. The holiday ad, aptly named “Give Knowingly”, traces the journey of this standout piece of clothing.
Samantha Morton, the narrator and actress, informs viewers that the bold colour was not one the recipient would have chosen for herself.
“Knowing you’re not into pink, but your mum knows it suits you and that this will become the jumper,” she narrates as a young girl carefully wraps it in white and red striped paper.
The scene then shifts to the female recipient donning the jumper, only to remove it and leave it on a chair during a festive gathering. However, just as her mother predicted, it soon becomes a cherished wardrobe staple, reports the Mirror.
“In four years time, you’ll be cross with yourself when you -” Samantha begins, as the woman inadvertently drops a blob of jam on the pink jumper.
The clips reveal the woman casually draping it over the back of the sofa as she delves into a book, and later packing the standout item away when she dyes her hair pink, stating ‘”pink on pink is too much pink.”
However, it quickly finds its way back into her winter wardrobe.. The narration continues: “You’ll rediscover it, you’ll even be wearing it when you and Jo become an item, but you don’t know any of that yet.”
The advert wraps up by telling viewers, “Just know, it’s for you and the person who gave it to you.”
This marks the second teaser John Lewis has unveiled in anticipation of their annual full-length Christmas advert, set to be released in the upcoming weeks.
While the exact release date remains unknown, previous years have seen it debut in the first or second week of November, always on a Thursday.
Last year’s advert was revealed on Thursday, November 9, which could suggest we might see the full-length version as early as next week, Thursday, 7 November.
Regardless, this latest ad struck a poignant chord with faithful customers, with many expressing their reactions on social media.
One individual posted on Instagram: “So so sweet! The humble sweater tells a tale indeed’.
Another commented: “This was a hard watch. My mum passed away last Christmas, hold your mums tight and tell them how much you love them.”
While another user chimed in: “Lovely advert lovely jumper as well. Look forward to this years Christmas advert as always.”
In a statement on the retailer’s website, they expressed that for over 160 years ‘we’ve helped our customers find that perfect gift’ and added ‘even if they don’t know it yet’.
Meanwhile, Saatchi and Saatchi posted on their Instagram: ‘This Christmas, we want you to make every gift meaningful’.