The Marks & Spencer’s Christmas ad IS the spirit of Christmas.

Call me old-fashioned if you like, but to me, Christmas is all about heartwarming stories that remind you we’re meant to be nice to each other and that love and giving can do spectacular things. [:ed]

The world seems to need Christmas stories like that more than ever this year.

RKCR/Y&R has given the world a beauty. It’s the tale of Mrs Claus, who finds a late request from a little boy called Jake, who let the dog chew his “often angry” teenage sister’s trainers. All he wants for Christmas is a new pair of trainers for his sister.

Actually, that is not entirely true. It is also the story of a woman with remarkable capabilities (and resources) that she uses without fanfare to support her partner and make the world a better place.

The three minute ad is full of wonderful little details that turn a long ad into a rich story. (Aussies, keep an ear out, too, for the fun little crack at us.)

The ad was directed by Tom Hooper, who also directed the King’s Speech director. Mrs Claus was played by British actor, Janet McTeer, who won a Golden Globe Award for the 1999 film, Tumbleweeds, and starred in this year’s Hollywood production Me Before You and the Donmar Warehouse Broadway production of Les Liaisons Dangereuses. The cinematic score was composed by Rachel Portman.

“Mrs Claus is the result of thousands of conversations that we had with our customers to understand what they want from M&S – which is warmth, empathy and a touch of humour presented in a modern and contemporary way,” Patrick Bousquet-Chavanne, executive director of customer, marketing and M&S.com at Marks & Spencer, explained in the launch statement.

“She epitomises the huge efforts our customers put in to making the festive season special and represents the love and togetherness that customers want to feel and see in abundance at Christmas.”

The ad launched on TV to an audience of more than 3 million Brits watching Gogglebox on November 11.

Mrs Claus will have a presence in social media, in-store, mobile and online to help customers in the lead-up to Christmas, aided by a team of store assistants, who will be carrying out 15,000 acts of “Mrs Claus kindness” – from offering free coffee to party makeovers. M&S intends to make everyone #LoveMrsClaus.

Through a partnership with Channel 4, Mrs Claus give seasonal style, decoration and food tips with  TV presenters, Dawn O’Porter, Kirsty Allsop, Phil Spencer and Jimmy Doherty.

A lot is riding on the ad. Marks & Spencer’s sales have been declining for several years and its clothing sales are in the doldrums. A few days ago, the chain announced that it would close 30 stores in the UK as part of its plans to overhaul 100 British shops and close 53 shops overseas.