John Lewis Christmas advert puts store at heart as sister hunts for 'perfect gift'

John Lewis has put its own store at the heart of its 2024 Christmas advert in a tale of two sisters.

The department store's high profile Oxford Street branch in London is the setting for this year's highly anticipated festive commercial, which is soundtracked by Richard Ashcroft's 'Sonnet' and focuses on the finding "the perfect gift".

The two minute ad shows Sally having a last minute dash round a John Lewis shop at closing time to find the right present for her sister.

She falls through a rack of dresses in a Narnia-inspired twist, taking her on an emotional journey through her memories of her sibling, from childhood and her teen years to pregnancy and beyond.

Sally finds herself back in the real world with a gift already wrapped, before sharing a moment with her siblings outside the store.

The tagline for the advert reads: "The secret to finding the perfect gift? Knowing where to look."

While John Lewis is breaking from tradition by having an original song take centre stage rather than a cover, the company is launching a competition on TikTok to find a new rendition of 'Sonnet' to act as the soundtrack for a special Christmas Day broadcast of the ad.

Charlotte Lock, customer director for John Lewis, said: ‘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.'"

To enter the competition, hopeful musicians need to upload their take on the track on John Lewis' TikTok page with the #MySonnet hashtag, which entry opening on Friday (15.11.24).

The winner will be chosen by Richard himself and a panel of judges, and as well as the Christmas Day treat they'll also get the single released by BMG, with proceeds going to the Building Happier Futures programme, while they'll be gifted a £3,000 John Lewis shopping spree and tickets to one of The Verve star's headline shows.