Father and teenage son bond over ’90s club hit for John Lewis Christmas campaign

John Lewis has turned to a surly teenager giving his father the Christmas gift of a memory-laden ’90s vinyl for its highly anticipated festive campaign.

It is the first time the department store has focused on a father and son relationship for its Christmas ad, which shows the teenager – headphones clamped to his ears – seeking to connect with his father by giving him a favourite track from his youth.

Alison Limerick’s 90s club hit Where Love Lives provides the soundtrack, with fellow British artist Labrinth contributing a new version of the track.

A scene from the 2025 John Lewis Christmas ad (John Lewis/PA)

The ad, created by Saatchi & Saatchi, shows the father clearing up discarded wrapping and coming across an unopened present with a yellow sticky note marked ‘Dad’ with a smiley face.

He unwraps the vinyl and heads straight to his record player, with the ad cutting to him dancing in a 90s club before flashbacks show him remembering his son as a toddler and a baby.

The ad ends with the two back in the family living room sharing a slightly embarrassed hug and a laugh.

Father and son at the end of the John Lewis 2025 Christmas ad (John Lewis/PA)

John Lewis brand director Rosie Hanley said: “This year’s John Lewis Christmas campaign is a celebration of connection, memory and the unspoken emotions that make the season truly magical.

“At John Lewis, we understand the power of a thoughtful gift, and we hope the ad will inspire our customers to find the gift that articulates their feelings, allowing the present itself to speak volumes where words may sometimes fall short.”

Franki Goodwin, chief creative officer at Saatchi & Saatchi, said: “Music is always the beating heart of the John Lewis campaign at Christmas but this year it’s the gift itself.

“The track threads through an integrated campaign that poignantly explores the power of a gift to communicate something we might not be able to put into words.

“A banger on many levels in many channels, I hope it inspires lots of thoughtful, expressive gifting and some family trawls through old playlists on Christmas Day too.”

Alison Limerick holding the Where Love Lives vinyl released for the John Lewis campaign (John Lewis/PA)

Limerick said: “I squealed when I heard that Where Loves Lives would be in the advert – literally squealed like an excited child.

“Music has always had the power to bring all kinds of peeps together, but I hope this year’s John Lewis Christmas advert will give those who see it a new, emotional connection with the song – especially with what Labrinth has created. His gentle version is just so beautiful, it’s sure to fill the heart with love.”

Labrinth said: “To think a boy like me from east London, Hackney, who grew up watching this iconic advert, would one day reimagine a classic and compose a piece of music for John Lewis’s forward-thinking direction is a big deal for me.

“This advert is embedded in British Christmas culture and I miss home, so I’m honoured to be a part of it.”

The vinyl will be sold exclusively through Rough Trade at John Lewis, with Limerick’s original version taking side A and Labrinth’s new version the B side.

All profits from the £14.99 record will go to the John Lewis Partnership’s Building Happier Futures programme, which helps people who have grown up in care.