John Lewis bets on 'Gloria and Pickles' for its 20th Christmas film

John Lewis launched its 20th Christmas advert on 3 November, a three-minute film called 'Gloria and Pickles' that carries one pointed message for shoppers tempted to just hand over cash: "Don't give up on giving."

The campaign, created by Saatchi & Saatchi London and directed by Lucy Forbes through production company Smuggler, arrives as the retailer's most watched marketing moment of the year. Rosie Hanley, Marketing & Loyalty Director at John Lewis, kept the brief blunt. "Our message this year is simple: 'Don't give up on giving'," she said.

What's in the film?

Dame Kristin Scott Thomas plays Gloria, a grandmother preparing her home for the family on Christmas Eve. Stuck on what to buy, she's tempted to give cash. Then Pickles, a vintage Fisher-Price toy dog voiced by Paul Whitehouse, comes to life and pushes her to do better. The pair take a TukTuk ride through London to John Lewis. On Christmas morning, the grandchildren find a key instead of cash. It opens a 'Gran Cave' in her home office.

The soundtrack is Sam Fender's new cover of The Rolling Stones' 'You Can't Always Get What You Want'. It's his first new music since 'Rein Me In', and it carries a commercial hook of its own: profits from John Lewis sales of the 7" and CD go to Action for Children, while profits from Fender's own store go to Teenage Cancer Trust.

The approvals stacked up. Scott Thomas said she "simply couldn't resist the opportunity to lead a John Lewis Christmas advert". Fender called it "a privilege to rework such an iconic song by such an legendary band". Mick Jagger weighed in too: "I think he's done a great job with it."

Franki Goodwin, Chief Creative Officer at Saatchi & Saatchi, pitched the work in inclusive terms: "This one really does have something for everyone."

What does this change for marketers?

The media plan shows how broad the premium Christmas slot has become. The film launched on 3 November across John Lewis' own channels, then hit TV during 'Coronation Street' on ITV and 'The Great British Bake Off' on Channel 4. From there it runs across:

• TV and BVOD (broadcaster video on demand)
• SVOD (subscription streaming), including Netflix, Prime Video and Disney+
• Programmatic display
• Social platforms

For a chief marketing officer, the takeaways are straightforward. A heritage retailer is still willing to spend on a three-minute hero film, a named director and an A-list cast two decades into the format. The charity tie-in turns music merchandising into goodwill. And streaming platforms now sit alongside ITV and Channel 4 in the Christmas media mix, a signal of where seasonal budgets are shifting.

Who made it

Saatchi & Saatchi London's team was led by CEO Claire Hollands and CCO Franki Goodwin, with Creative Director Simon Cheadle, copywriter Paddy Fraser and associate creative directors George Coyle and Sam Simmonds. Smuggler London produced, with Lucy Forbes directing, Lasse Frank as DP, Alex Holmes as production designer and Suzanne Cave as costume designer. Editing came from tenthree (editor Ellie Johnson), post-production and VFX from Selected Works, colour from Harbor Picture Company UK (colourist Toby Tomkins), sound from 750mph, and music supervision from Wake The Town. Talent Republic handled casting, led by founder and CEO Anne Batz.

The ad is part of Campaign Brief's roundup of the season's most anticipated Christmas campaigns from around the globe.