The John Lewis Christmas Ad 2026 and the Power of Emotion in Marketing

Every year, the John Lewis Christmas ad arrives with the promise of festive cheer and a gentle tug on the heartstrings. This year, it dropped on 3 November and, as always, got everyone talking. Some loved the nostalgia and big names, while others called it John Lewis’s worst yet.

But there’s a bigger question underneath all the debate. Christmas adverts are masters of emotional marketing, built to make us feel first and think later. Yet with rising living costs, Christmas campaigns starting earlier than ever and AI-generated content everywhere, do audiences still want to be swept up in the emotion?

What Is the John Lewis Christmas Ad 2026 About?

This year’s John Lewis Christmas ad, “Gloria and Pickles”, follows a grandmother who’s lost her confidence in picking gifts for her grandchildren. It’s a childhood toy that reminds her what giving is really about.

Dame Kristin Scott Thomas plays Gloria, who’s busy getting her home Christmas-ready: fluffing pillows, tweaking ornaments and locking her office door, all to the sound of Sam Fender’s cover of “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”. When her family arrives, the grandchildren race past her open arms, drop their bags and dash upstairs. Minutes later, they’re bouncing on the sofa she’s just made perfect.

When her daughter hints the kids need entertaining, Gloria heads to the attic for a box of old toys. But the children have already claimed her once-locked, perfectly neat office, leaving records scattered and notebooks scribbled on. She introduces them to Pickles, a wooden dog on wheels, but they’re not interested.

Not sure how to keep kids happy in 2026, Gloria slips cash into their Christmas cards, but it doesn’t feel right. Then Pickles speaks up. Voiced by Paul Whitehouse, he tells her she can do better than cash and reminds her how it felt to unwrap him as a child. Pickles isn’t just a toy; he’s a bundle of nostalgia and memories.

The pair head into London in search of the perfect gift, but find only cheap toys, tacky jumpers and overpriced tech, a struggle any Christmas shopper will recognise. Disappointed, Gloria hails a taxi home, but a magical tuk-tuk whisks them through the twinkling streets like Santa’s sleigh, until she yells “Stop!”, rather conveniently, outside John Lewis.

On Christmas morning, the grandchildren open their cards and find nothing inside. Gloria laughs, pulls out the gold key to her office (now wrapped in a giant bow) and opens the door to reveal a room packed with lights, disco balls and tinsel: a children’s paradise.

Gloria and her grandchildren at the newly wrapped office door. Image: John Lewis

What Is the Messaging Behind “Don’t Give Up On Giving”?

At its core, the advert is about letting go. Gloria’s perfectionism is everywhere: her spotless home, her locked office and her worry about getting gifts wrong. Instead of letting her grandchildren run free, she tries to steer their fun by giving them Pickles, a toy that once made her happy.

But the ad reminds us that what’s special to us isn’t always special to everyone else. Nostalgia doesn’t pass down automatically; we have to make new memories together. The soundtrack drives this home. “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” is a gentle nudge that things don’t always go to plan, no matter how hard we try.

That’s why the ending matters. Gloria’s real gift is the office she once locked up tight. By handing over the key, she lets go and lets her grandchildren’s joy fill the space. The takeaway? We give because we care and because we see people for who they are, not who we want them to be.

Gloria holds up the key to her office. Image: John Lewis

Gloria’s cash-filled cards are the easy option. Pickles reminds her what a real, meaningful gift feels like. Even John Lewis’s own marketing and loyalty director, Rosie Hanley, admits she’s slipped cash in an envelope just to avoid getting it wrong.

Is Pickles an AI Allegory?

There’s another way to read the John Lewis Christmas ad. In a world full of AI, is Pickles, the helpful, chatty companion who pops up when Gloria’s stuck, really just an AI assistant guiding her through her gift-giving crisis?

That might not be what John Lewis meant. Magical helpers guiding the hero are nothing new in adverts, films or TV. But it shows just how differently we read familiar stories now.

In a tongue-in-cheek review for the Guardian, Stuart Heritage takes the idea even further. He suggests that by steering Gloria away from cash, Pickles takes away the children’s freedom to choose for themselves, replacing it with a gift he’s decided they’ll love. As he puts it, “a comfortable prison is still a prison.”

It’s tongue-in-cheek, but it hits on a real worry. As AI tools start recommending what we watch, buy and gift, will they soon claim to know us and our families better than we do?

Does the John Lewis Christmas Advert 2026 Resonate with Audiences?

The John Lewis Christmas advert 2026 has received mixed reactions. Many of the retailer’s previous adverts were widely loved for their focus on human connection, from the nostalgic wait for Christmas in 2011’s “The Long Wait” to last year’s “Where Love Lives”, in which a father and teenage son reconnect over a vinyl record. That advert was named the most emotionally engaging John Lewis Christmas ad in almost a decade.

This year, some viewers have called the ad out of touch and unrelatable, saying it doesn’t match the mood in most homes in 2026. Others have labelled the grandchildren “bratty”, though to us, they just seemed like excited kids. Whether the ad hits home really depends on who you are and who you see yourself as in the story.

Who Is the Advert Really Made For?

This ad is made for the gift buyer, not the receiver. The grandchildren might kick off the story, but it’s all seen through Gloria’s eyes, her worries, her guilt and her hunt for the perfect present. She’s the classic John Lewis customer: established, comfortable, house-proud and with a family to shop for.

The story is told through Gloria’s eyes. Image: John Lewis

That tells us something straight away: lots of people waiting for this heartfelt ad aren’t really its target audience. With so many households in the UK and Ireland facing rising bills and everyday costs, splurging on the perfect gift just isn’t realistic. Still, John Lewis wants to persuade adults buying for children that a thoughtful gift is worth the effort and the price tag.

But that focus comes at a price. If you don’t see yourself in Gloria, she might feel cold instead of relatable. Anyone who identifies more with the excited grandchildren, or with parents on a tighter budget, might struggle to connect with her at all.

Why Has the Advert Faced a Backlash?

The backlash boils down to four things: how the characters come across, what the story says about giving, how far it feels from real life in 2026 and a sense that it’s missing the emotional punch John Lewis is famous for.

The cost of living in the UK and Ireland keeps rising. According to the Office for National Statistics, UK CPIH inflation rose by 3.6% in the 12 months to September 2026, up from 3.3% the previous month. In Ireland, inflation reached 4.1% in September 2026, the highest rate since January 2024, with housing and energy costs, including home heating oil, electricity, rent and mortgage interest, rising fastest of all.

People in 2026 aren’t just struggling to afford things; many are worn down by a steady stream of bad news. Lots of viewers look forward to an ad that reminds them what really matters. Instead, this year’s ad shows a world of upper-middle-class comfort: warm colours, soft furnishings and a big house for one. John Lewis has leaned into middle-class cosiness before, but this time it goes further. Add in “bratty” kids and a message that nudges viewers away from cash and towards a lavish room makeover, and it’s easy to see why it rubbed some people the wrong way, especially those who can’t afford either.

Gloria and her grandchildren in the finished “Gran Cave”. Image: John Lewis

The characters didn’t help either. Plenty of viewers disliked the grandchildren rushing past their grandmother and shaking their cards for cash. Others saw it as a story about a grandmother who felt she had to buy her grandchildren’s affection with expensive gifts.

Some also felt the ad missed the emotional pull of previous years. It moved too quickly and focused too much on selling to leave viewers in tears the way John Lewis ads usually do.

The criticism snowballed. Some viewers called it John Lewis’s worst ever and even threatened to boycott the store, with one saying the brand had misjudged the public mood. Piers Morgan joined in, calling it “possibly the worst advert I’ve ever seen for anything”.

But it’s not all bad news. Many viewers praised Kristin Scott Thomas’s elegance as Gloria, loved Paul Whitehouse’s voice work and felt nostalgic about Pickles. Sam Fender’s soundtrack has also gone down well. John Lewis says the ad has struck a chord with its customers, and that part of the appeal is how everyone takes something different from it.

Christmas Starts Earlier Every Year: When Does Festive Marketing Become Too Much?

Christmas ads seem to start earlier every year, with some shops putting up decorations right next to the Halloween ones. This year, the John Lewis Christmas ad arrived on 3 November, just three days after Halloween.

Last year, John Lewis dropped its Christmas advert 10 days earlier than the year before, keeping pace with competitors like Marks & Spencer. Even Prada jumped in before Halloween, launching its “Drawing Prada: Animated by Hand” campaign on 27th October 2026.

Every year, the race for festive revenue gets fiercer, and it’s not just about adverts anymore. Designer advent calendars are everywhere, with influencers opening them on the wrong days, sometimes for brand collabs and sometimes just for the views. However you look at it, Christmas seems to show up earlier each year. But with times tough for many, is this early start welcome, or does it just feel pushy?

What Is “Christmas Creep”?

Christmas creep describes how holiday merchandise, decorations, music and adverts seem to appear earlier every year. The phrase only popped up in the 1980s, but the trend itself is much older. Back in 1883, a Washington newspaper already noticed that “the holiday season of trade seems to begin earlier every year.” By the early 1900s, shops were urging people to finish their gift shopping by 1st December. Fast forward to 2026, and starting your Christmas shopping in December feels almost late. Some people even put up decorations in November.

Montag Brothers advert. Atlanta Georgian, Nov. 17, 1913

There’s definitely an appetite for a longer Christmas. When Celebrations launched its new 54-day Christmas calendar, research showed that 43% of Brits think the usual 24-day countdown is too short. But let’s be honest: who’s asking? A brand selling a longer countdown.

So which came first: the marketing or the mood? Are brands pushing us to spend earlier, or do we just want Christmas to last longer? According to TIME, it’s a bit of both. Retailers stock Christmas products earlier, and shoppers are happy to dive into the festive mood sooner. As TIME puts it, Christmas is “the perfect pre-packaged escape” from the everyday, with all the rituals that come with it: gifting, decorating and planning.

Has marketing convinced us that Christmas is all about spending, gifts and celebrations? Or do we love it because it means something more? The truth is, it’s probably both, and that’s what makes Christmas creep work so well.

Why Do Brands Launch Christmas Campaigns So Early?

Brands kick off Christmas campaigns early to outdo each other and build anticipation. By reaching people who are already in the festive spirit, brands that show off their Christmas cheer stay top of mind.

Christmas campaigns compete for attention at Piccadilly Circus, London. Photo by @tanyabarrow on Unsplash

October to December is the golden quarter for sales. It’s when spending peaks, thanks to Halloween, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas and New Year. In the US, eMarketer found that household spending jumped 4.2% in Q4 2024, up from 3.7% in Q3. The message is clear: people spend more now, and brands make the most of it before the year wraps up.

But with the cost of living and inflation on the rise, people are cutting back. Deloitte’s Consumer Tracker shows that 50% of UK consumers who spent less did so by buying fewer items, up from 44%. So with many struggling to cover rent, housing and essentials, can brands still profit, or will the Christmas push start to turn people off?

Why Do Christmas Adverts Make Us Feel So Much?

Nostalgia sits at the heart of Christmas. We remember when life felt simpler and the thrill of finding presents under the tree. There’s the rush of tearing open gifts, then piling into a big Christmas dinner. For many, Christmas nostalgia means less worry and more time to relax. As adults, we try to hold onto that cheer, even if it means digging a little deeper into our wallets.

How Do Emotions Drive Buying Decisions?

We often hear that “emotions are feelings, not facts,” but the truth is, they drive what we buy. Feeling low? You might treat yourself. Overwhelmed? Maybe you order a takeaway. Explorer Research says it best: most purchases happen emotionally first, and we justify them with logic later.

What’s powerful is that we often don’t even notice it happening. Colours, music, images and stories all spark emotional reactions we might never realise. We think we take in every detail of an advert, but our attention is much more selective. In one study, adverts with a human face grabbed more attention than those without in 91.7% of cases. We’re hard-wired to notice faces. Without realising it, we’re drawn to whatever tugs at our emotions.

Neuromarketing, a field that combines neuroscience with marketing, now uses brain-scanning technologies such as fMRI and EEG to map how the brain responds to different advertising stimuli, so brands can design campaigns to trigger specific emotional reactions. Even advocates of the discipline acknowledge it raises serious ethical questions.

Christmas turns up the volume on all these feelings. Explorer Research points out that holiday shopping brings out emotions you just don’t get with everyday purchases: excitement, generosity, nostalgia and sometimes, as Gloria shows, the guilt of not getting it right. A Christmas advert doesn’t have to convince us of anything. It just needs to remind us how we already feel.

Why Is Nostalgia So Powerful, and Where Does It Fall Short?

Nostalgia works because it makes us feel connected. When we feel that connection, money matters less. A 2014 study in the Journal of Consumer Research found that people who felt nostalgic were willing to pay more and cared less about the money, all because nostalgia boosted their sense of social connection.

That’s almost exactly the story of the John Lewis advert. Pickles, a nostalgic childhood toy, talks Gloria out of putting cash in her grandchildren’s cards. Whether or not John Lewis knew it, the advert dramatises the research.

Pickles in the finished “Gran Cave”. Image: John Lewis

But as Gloria finds out, nostalgia has its limits. It only works for the person doing the remembering. Her grandchildren don’t know Pickles, so he doesn’t mean anything to them.

Nostalgia is just one emotion brands tap into. Belonging, guilt, joy and longing all play a role, and none of it happens by accident. Every tearjerker advert is built on the idea that what we feel shapes what we buy, more than any facts or features. That’s emotional marketing. But when brands use it to get us spending during a cost-of-living crisis, it’s fair to ask: is it a warm memory, or just a sales technique?

What Is Emotional Marketing?

Emotional marketing uses feelings, not facts, to make people notice, remember and choose a brand. Rational marketing tells us why a product is better: cheaper, faster or longer-lasting. Emotional marketing skips the argument. It makes us feel something, whether that’s joy, belonging, nostalgia, guilt or longing, and quietly links that feeling to a brand.

That’s why you rarely see a Christmas advert mention price. John Lewis doesn’t tell us its toys are good value or its disco balls are built to last. Instead, it shows a grandmother rediscovering the joy of giving and trusts us to make the connection. So is emotional marketing a warm memory or a sales technique? Honestly, it’s both, and it’s meant to be.

Does Emotional Marketing Actually Work?

The evidence is clear: emotional marketing works, which is why brands keep investing in it. Les Binet and Peter Field found that 31% of purely emotional campaigns saw big profit gains, compared to 26% for mixed campaigns and just 16% for purely rational ones. Emotional ads are almost twice as likely to pay off as rational ones.

It all comes down to memory. We forget what an advert says much faster than how it makes us feel. A price promo is gone by January, but a feeling can stick with a brand for years. Think of Coca-Cola’s “Holidays Are Coming” advert. First aired in 1995, it’s still the moment many of us wait for each year. The music, the lights and the trucks rolling into town all signal that Christmas has started. Decades later, that feeling is still tied to the brand, and plenty of others have tried to copy it.

The original “Holidays Are Coming” advert. Image: Coca-Cola

That might be why brands keep tugging at our heartstrings, even when times are tough. Explorer Research found that brands with emotional meaning tend to stay resilient during economic uncertainty, even as people cut back. But this year’s backlash proves emotional marketing isn’t foolproof. When it works, it builds loyalty. When it misses, it can push people away.

But the fact that it works so well is exactly why we should question it. There’s a line between storytelling and manipulation. It’s crossed when emotion is used to override our judgement instead of informing it. Storytelling invites us to feel something and lets us choose. Manipulation uses feelings as a lever, nudging us towards choices we might not make otherwise.

Christmas adverts often walk a fine line. Nostalgia can loosen our wallets, and brands know exactly which moments tug at our emotions. This year, John Lewis adds another layer: guilt. Gloria feels that money alone isn’t enough, and the story wraps up with a grand gesture. If you’re a well-off grandmother, it’s a feel-good ending. But for anyone worried about making Christmas work, it can feel like a subtle judgement on what you can afford to give.

The same advert can feel like a cosy story to some and pressure to others. Right now, with the cost of living biting, more people fall into that second camp. If brands can engineer emotion this precisely, it’s fair to ask: can they manufacture it from scratch?

Can Emotions Be Manufactured?

Brands can engineer emotion, but they can’t fake it for long. Every big Christmas advert follows a formula: a relatable character, a simple cover song and a twist that rewards the giver. John Lewis has been perfecting this since 2011’s “The Long Wait.” But the same formula doesn’t always land. Last year, “Where Love Lives” was their most emotionally engaging ad in years. This year, some viewers called the new one their worst ever. People can spot the difference between emotion that’s earned and emotion that’s just manufactured, even if they can’t always put their finger on why.

AI makes this even clearer. In 2024, Coca-Cola used generative AI to remake their classic “Holidays Are Coming” ad. Viewers called it soulless and criticised the brand for swapping out human artists. They tried again in 2025, and the backlash came back just as strong. For an advert about warmth and togetherness, knowing no human hand was involved just didn’t sit right.

Coca-Cola’s AI-generated “Holidays Are Coming” advert, 2025. Image: Coca-Cola

But it’s not quite that simple. Research from System1 found that people were more forgiving of the AI ads in private than their online comments suggested. Maybe AI can make us feel something after all. Maybe what bothers us isn’t the feeling itself, but discovering how it was made.

This year, Prada took a different approach. Their holiday campaign, “Drawing Prada: Animated by Hand”, was created by Disney veteran John Pomeroy using traditional hand-drawn animation. Coverage framed its human touch as a direct answer to AI. Creative Bloq called it a sharp lesson for Coca-Cola. In 2026, “made by humans” is a selling point all on its own.

“Drawing Prada: Animated by Hand”, Prada Holiday 2026. Illustration created by artists led by John Pomeroy. Photography by Glen Luchford. Image: Prada

Which brings us back to Pickles. If a talking wooden dog feels like an AI assistant nudging Gloria’s choices, maybe audiences are more tuned in than ever to who’s pulling the strings. The real question isn’t just whether an advert can move us. It’s whether we’ll still trust that feeling once we know how it was made.

So, Are Audiences Still Willing to Be Moved?

People will always get excited about Christmas, and emotions will always lead the way. But star power, a simple cover song and a glimpse of upper-middle-class comfort aren’t enough to move an audience by themselves.

When times are tough, people lean on nostalgia, but they don’t want to be sold a fantasy or have someone else’s comfort waved in their faces. “Gloria and Pickles” shows just how tricky that balance is. For many, it landed too soon, spoke to a buyer they couldn’t relate to and wrapped things up with a gift that’s out of reach for most households.

A disco-ball room behind a gold key is pure fantasy, and like most purchases, the thrill fades fast. Audiences know this. They want to see their real lives reflected: not dull, just real. They want brands to say, “You don’t have to buy much, but you can buy this,” without sounding manipulative or talking down to them.

People want brands to stop promising magic and start offering something real. The Christmas ads that stick won’t be the ones telling us how to feel, but the ones that get how we already do

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