The John Lewis Christmas advert is a true modern British festive institution.Â
From Monty the Penguin to Buster the Boxer and the Man on the Moon, we will all have a personal favourite. But with more than a decade’s worth of adverts to choose from - going back all the way to 2007 - it might be hard to remember which are the best as the years go by.Â
As we eagerly await the 18th John Lewis Christmas advert - I have looked back through the trends to see if I can find any clues for when the 2024 edition could drop. I have also decided to take on the mammoth task of ranking all of the past ads: from worst to best. Also take a look at the great Waitrose ad here.
The rating system is from one to five Jingle Bells - and is based on my personal opinion on how Christmassy the advert is, how well the storyline works, the choice of song and more. Do you agree with my ranking, let me know by emailing me: [email protected].Â
7. 13 - Moz the Monster (2017)
Featuring a charming message about tolerance, Moz the Monster is bound to be plenty of people’s favourite John Lewis advert. Personally, I don’t think it can compete with the top tier ones - and it suffers from stretching on a bit too long. But it is certainly not the worst one. Rating 3.5 Jingle Bells. | YouTube/ John Lewis Photo: YouTube/ John Lewis
8. 12 - An Unexpected Guest (2021)
It was a return to the tried-and-tested for John Lewis in 2021 with this advert firmly in the Monty the Penguin, Moz the Monster, template of a young child and an out of the ordinary friend involved in a Christmas adventure - this time in the form of an alien. It has a good cover song, but does feel a tad formulaic - even if the formula is charming. Rating 3.6 Jingle Bells. | YouTube/ John Lewis Photo: YouTube/ John Lewis
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9. 11 - Where the Love Lies (2025)
The 2025 effort from John Lewis was a decent go of things, but probably won't live long in the memory and won't be as fondly remembered as the true classics. It is a nice change of pace, focusing on the relationship between dads and sons - but it never truly pulls on the heartstrings in an effective way. 3.7 Jingle Bells | John Lewis Photo: John Lewis
10. 10 - Don’t Give up on Giving (2026)
This year's advert featured Dame Kristin Scott Thomas as a grandma who was searching for a way to give the gift of a joy to her (rather spoiled) grandchildren who were just hoping for money in their Christmas card. It's a familiar scene in many homes, so something that can be related to, but it just didn't give me that warm fuzzy feeling, although I do think the message behind it - that the best thing about Christmas is enjoying time together - is important. And I did think it was better than last year's advert. Rating: 3.75 Jingle Bells.
11. 9 - The Bear and the Hare (2013)
Perhaps the John Lewis advert with the most iconic song - Lily Allen’s cover of Somewhere Only We Know. It was such a hit that it topped the UK single’s chart. Beautifully animated, it does feel like one of those adaptations of Julia Donaldson books that air on BBC every year. But because it is fully cartoon, it feels a bit too adrift from reality in a way the ads usually don’t. Rating: 3.8 Jingle Bells. | YouTube/ John Lewis Photo: YouTube/ John Lewis
12. 8 - Snapper (2023)
Love the song in this, Andrea Bocelli adds such a unique spin on the usual soundtrack to a John Lewis Christmas advert. More in the vein of Edgar and Buster the Boxer, featuring a bit of a chaotic element seemingly ruining Christmas, only to make it more magical in the end. It is charming, but nothing earth shattering. Rating: 3.9 Jingle Bells. | YouTube/ John Lewis Photo: YouTube/ John Lewis