John Lewis - Where love lives. A media moment built on emotion
For many people, the John Lewis Christmas advert is a cultural moment in its own right. It marks the beginning of the season and arrives with a level of anticipation few brands ever experience. In 2025, the story centred on a father and son and the emotional power of a gift that says what words struggle to hold. Set to a reimagined version of Where Love Lives by Alison Limerick ft. Labrinth, and directed by Jonathan Alric of The Blaze, the film blended 1990s nostalgia with a modern family story to show how music, nostalgia and thoughtfulness can bring people back together.
Our task was to ensure the media carried the same emotional weight as the film. Audiences wait for this moment every year, so anticipation became part of the strategy. We used John Lewis owned and earned channels to build momentum ahead of launch, beginning with a social teaser on Sunday evening that signalled the start of the season.
The national premiere took the first break of The Great British Bake Off final, one of the most high profile and emotionally charged spots in the TV calendar. From there, the campaign rolled out across the most premium AV environments. ITV, Channel 4 and Sky carried the 60 second cut through to Christmas Day. SVOD ad pauses across Netflix, Prime Video, Samsung TV, Disney+ and LG TV helped the film reach audiences across their most-viewed streaming platforms. Cinema added another attentive context, with a standout placement before Wicked 2 and other major titles. The approach delivered 96% ABC1 reach at an average frequency of 12.
Unified Video planning shaped the mix to support emotional connection through the power of video. Linear TV delivered broad reach, while programmatic video and non-broadcaster channels added efficient incremental impressions. Paid social sustained presence across the season to keep the soundtrack and the story present in culture, while cinema created a high-attention viewing experience.
Music was central to the advert’s emotional impact, so we extended that meaning beyond the screen. In a media-first partnership, we launched a Kisstory AFP celebrating iconic 90s and contemporary artists linked to the memories at the heart of the film. Live performances from DJ AG and nostalgic 90s acts outside John Lewis White City added a real-world cultural moment, helping the campaign stay visible and relevant later into the season and reached new audiences.
The wider Q4 plan supported the full John Lewis Christmas ecosystem. A three-phase gifting strategy aligned media with early, mid and late shopping behaviours. Early gifting focused on high reach social and programmatic activity. Mid gifting introduced radio, OOH and press to drive national scale. Late gifting delivered urgency messaging when it mattered most. Alongside this, we supported 12 Treats of Christmas, Grottos and Experiences across social to drive myJL member sign ups, and continued momentum across Fashion and Home category moments. Supplier-funded activity added £4.2m in media value across gifting and Black Friday.