Saatchi & Saatchi has opted for a celebrity drawcard, a vintage wooden pull-along dog called Pickles that talks to enhance its heartwarming Christmas story this year for John Lewis. The celebrity is actor, Dame Kristin Scott Thomas (who most recently starred in the thriller series, Slow Horses); the dog’s voice is by comedian and actor, Paul Whitehouse. The story is about the effort to choose a thoughtful gift. It is also a return to classic John Lewis Christmas storytelling with a cute animal character and adorable children.
In the story grandma, Gloria, puts cash in her grandchildren’s Christmas cards because she is not confident she can choose a gift they will love. Pickles tells her “You can do better than cash” and takes her on a last-minute gifting mission through London. On Christmas morning the children open empty envelopes and find a key to the “Gran Cave”, a room Gloria has transformed with lights, disco balls and music.
The three-minute film is set to a cover of The Rolling Stones’ You Can’t Always Get What You Want by Sam Fender. Proceeds from sales of the track, backed with Fender’s 2020 recording of Winter Song, will benefit Teenage Cancer Trust and Action for Children, John Lewis’s partner for its Building Happier Futures initiative.
The campaign was directed by Smuggler director Lucy Forbes, a BAFTA-winning director known for her work on This Is Going to Hurt, The End of the F*ing World, Eric, and the soon to be released HBO Harry Potter series.
The commercial launched on social media on Tuesday morning, November 3, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, before a 60-second version aired for the first time on TV in the ad breaks for ITV’s Coronation Street and Channel 4’s The Great British Bake Off that evening.
It will be viewable on John Lewis’ You Tube channel.
The 2026 John Lewis Christmas advert follows a wider, all-year round gifting campaign from John Lewis and Saatchi & Saatchi, including the newly launched Gift List vod-cast with Angela Scanlon, and the newly opened Box Studio in John Lewis’ flagship Oxford Street store.
Rosie Hanley, marketing & loyalty director at John Leiws, commented, “The John Lewis Christmas advert is a beloved tradition, but for its 20th edition, we wanted it to feel extra special. Bringing in the sparkle of Dame Kristin Scott Thomas and Sam Fender has helped bring this story to life beautifully. It’s a storyline that so many of our customers will relate to; I’ve definitely resorted to putting cash in an envelope for fear of getting it wrong. But our message this year is simple: ‘Don’t give up on giving.’ We hope this restores the nation’s gift-giving confidence and encourages customers to rediscover the joy of choosing something truly thoughtful for the people they love.”
Franki Goodwin, CCO, Saatchi & Saatchi, added, “This year has been a joyful collaboration with a series of icons; a Dame, a record-breaking artist, and an enduring wooden toy. I would also add our director Lucy Forbes to that list, who was for us, the only person to bring this powerful intergenerational story to life. Finding the perfect balance between relatable family dynamics and proper magic gave us the opportunity to create this glorious celebration of giving. This one really does have something for everyone.”
Credits:
Client: John Lewis
Chief Marketing Officer: Anna Braithwaite
Marketing Director: Rosie Hanley
Brand Marketing Lead: Katie England
Brand Marketing Senior Manager: Carolyn Timberlake
Brand Marketing Manager: Laura Masters
Brand Marketing Senior Executive: Holly Graham
John Lewis : Supplier Funded
Brand Marketing Senior Manager: Georgina Veasey
Brand Marketing Manager: Georgiana Bernhardt
Advertising Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi
CCO: Franki Goodwin
CEP: Claire Hollands
Chief Production Officer: Jessica Ringshall
Chief Strategy Officer: Sam Wise
Creative Director: Simon Cheadle
Head Of Creative (Social & Bts): Caroline Paris
Associate CDs: George Coyle & Sam Simmonds
Copywriter: Paddy Fraser
Agency Producer (Hero) & Dep Head Of Production: Sam Robinson
Senior Integrated Producer (Supplier Funded, Social & Bts): Izzy Woods
Production Assistant: Rita Aboderin
Planning Director: Polly Whitton
Planner: Phoebe Lyons
Business Lead: Isaac Hickinbottom
Account Director: Lupien Troelstra
Account Manager: Dhara Chauhan
Head of Business Affairs: Charlotte Fisher
Business Affairs Manager: Liz Staley
Media Agency: OMD Manning Gottlieb
Production Company: Smuggler
Director: Lucy Forbes
Managing Director: Lucy Kelly
Executive Producer: Kerry Smart
Producer: Martha Mcguirk
Production Manager: Meghan Young
Production Assistant: Tom Pritchett
DoP: Lasse Frank
Service Company: Solent Film
Post-Production Company: Selected Works
Creative Director & VFX Supervisor: Amber Frisenda
Grade: Harbor
Colourist: Toby Tomkins
Editing: Tenthree
Editor: Ellie Johnson
Music : Wake The Town
Founder & Director: Dom Bastyra
Sound House: 750mph
Sound Design & Mix: Sam Ashwell, Jake Ashwell
Last year’s Christmas spot was new ground for John Lewis (albeit remaining high emotive) – a father-and-son love story:
The year before, John Lewis went epic in a very different direction than before – a trilogy effort beginning before Black Friday. This included a tribute to good gift finders, a story about the sister bond and a competition for singers to perform their own renditions of the 2024 Christmas original track, Sonnet, with the winner’s released as a single.
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