From stocking filler to floor filler: John Lewis Christmas advert channels nightclub nostalgia

John Lewis is hoping that a dash of nostalgia will get consumers into the festive mood this year as it officially kickstarts the countdown to Christmas with the launch of its 2025 advert - to the tune of the 1990s club classic Where Love Lives.

- Sarah Butler

The department store chain is appealing to ageing clubbers - and their teenage children - with this year's advert, which focuses on a middle-aged dad transported back to his clubbing days after receiving a vinyl record from his son.

The John Lewis Christmas advert, launching today, arrives 10 days earlier than last year's, following a general shift towards an earlier Christmas launch in recent years by rivals including Marks & Spencer and the supermarkets.

John Lewis unveiled its Christmas shop in stores in September this year. Rosie Hanley, the retailer's director of brand, said it was ready online from the end of August as early planners began looking for festive items once the summer bank holiday was over.

Hanley said shoppers were starting early as they wanted to "spread the cost of gifting across several pay days" and were also taking advantage of discounts linked to Black Friday promotions.

For the second year in a row, the John Lewis advert, created by the agency Saatchi & Saatchi, has swerved the young children and cute characters of previous years, such as Monty the Penguin or Buster the Boxer, to highlight the power of family relationships.