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John Lewis defends under-fire Christmas advert and insists campaign conveys the ‘true spirit of Christmas’ after critics accused it of ‘pandering to spoiled kids’
John Lewis has defended its Christmas advert after critics said it portrayed badly behaved grandchildren whose affection their grandmother had to win with an elaborate gift. The retailer says the story is meant to encourage people to choose thoughtful, personal presents, reflecting what it calls the true spirit of Christmas.
The three-minute film, *Gloria and Pickles*, stars Dame Kristin Scott Thomas as Gloria, who turns her home office into a “Gran Cave” after her grandchildren show little interest in her childhood toy dog. Piers Morgan, Sharron Davies, Kirstie Allsopp and others criticised the advert, while some viewers supported its message that time and thought matter more than money. It is John Lewis’s 20th festive campaign and features Sam Fender covering the Rolling Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”.
In short
- John Lewis says its advert promotes thoughtful, personal gifts.
- Critics objected to the grandchildren’s behaviour and the ending.
- The campaign marks the retailer’s 20th Christmas advert.
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The case for
The advert can be read as a warm story about a grandparent finding a way to connect with grandchildren through a personal gift and shared play. Its message is that thought, time and imagination can make a present meaningful, rather than its price; the children’s initial distraction gives that connection room to develop.
The case against
The story can be read as making the grandmother responsible for winning the children’s attention by transforming her home and offering an elaborate gift. Critics may feel this risks normalising entitlement and putting the burden of family connection on adults, when the advert could instead have shown the children taking an interest in their grandmother and her memories.