The John Lewis Christmas ad is now such a big annual tradition that it feels like the official start of the festive season.
And while previous ads from the UK department store have featured animation and animals, this year’s edition uses realism to pack its emotional punch.
Titled “The Beginner”, the story sees a middle-aged man struggling to learn to skateboard, spliced with shots of him and his partner preparing for Christmas. Finally there’s a knock on the front door and a woman arrives with a young girl holding a skateboard. The man says “I skate a bit, too” and they welcome the girl into the house while the following text appears: “Over 108,000 children in the UK are in the care system. We’re making a longterm commitment to support the futures of young people from care.”
John Lewis has confirmed its partnering with Action for Children and Who Cares? Scotland to raise money as part of their new Building Happier Futures program, which they’re accepting donations for on their site.