‘Don’t give up on giving’: John Lewis' Christmas ad is a story of connection, family and fun

The 20th edition of the iconic Christmas advert is a story of rediscovering the joy in gifting and serves as a reminder not to give up when finding the right gift feels difficult.

John Lewis has revealed its 2026 Christmas campaign, “Gloria and Pickles”. The 20th edition of the retailer's much-loved Christmas advert issues a heartwarming call to the nation to make festive gifting personal, joyful and meaningful once again.

The campaign, created by Saatchi & Saatchi, launches with a three-minute film which follows Gloria- played by Oscar-nominated and BAFTA-winning actress Dame Kristin Scott Thomas and her faithful companion and childhood gift, Pickles the dog. Set against the festive tagline “Don’t Give Up on Giving”, the story touches on a relatable modern truth: the fear of not finding the “perfect gift” can overshadow the simple pleasure of giving something thoughtful this festive season. The advert focuses on a new familial relationship: the special bond between grandparents and grandchildren.

The 2026 John Lewis Christmas advert follows a wider, all-year-round gifting campaign from John Lewis and Saatchi & Saatchi, including the newly launched Gift List vod-cast with Angela Scanlon and the newly opened Box Studio in John Lewis’ flagship Oxford Street store.

Chart-topping singer-songwriter Sam Fender has provided the soundtrack for the film with his brand-new single, a cover of The Rolling Stones’ classic, ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want’.

It’s Christmas Eve, and Gloria is putting the finishing touches on her beautiful home, ready to welcome her family for the big day.

The doorbell rings, ushering in her daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren, Freddie and Maggie. The kids are restless from the long journey, so Gloria retrieves her old toy collection from the attic to keep them entertained. She introduces her grandchildren to ‘Pickles the dog’, a vintage Little Snoopy Pull-Along Toy, but they’re not impressed with the nostalgic toy and are quickly distracted by shouts for lunch, leaving Gloria feeling that she doesn’t know what they really want.

Whilst alone, Gloria writes their Christmas cards and places cash inside each envelope. She wants to feel close to her grandchildren, but doesn’t feel confident in her ability to choose gifts they’ll genuinely love. Suddenly, the toy dog springs to life, voiced by acclaimed actor, writer and comedian Paul Whitehouse, and berates her lack of effort: “You can do better than cash”.

Pickles drags Gloria out of the house on a gifting mission. 

As they start to give up hope, they hail a cab to go home, but a TukTuk arrives in its place. Pickles convinces her to go for one last ride, shouting “Lighten up Grandma!” as they fly through the streets of London. The bright and vibrant TukTuk sparks a gifting epiphany, so she calls it to a halt outside John Lewis.

On Christmas morning, Gloria hands Freddie and Maggie their Christmas cards. Expecting cash, the children are surprised to find the envelopes empty. Instead, their grandmother holds up a single key. Unlocking her home office door, they discover the ‘Gran Cave ’- a magical wonderland filled with sparkling lights, disco balls, and music inspired by her TukTuk adventure. Delighted, Freddie and Maggie throw their arms around their grandmother, as the thoughtful surprise bridges the generational gap through a moment of pure joy.

The campaign was directed by Lucy Forbes through Smuggler. Lucy is a BAFTA-winning director known for her work on This Is Going to Hurt, The End of the F*ing World, Eric, and has just wrapped on the hugely anticipated HBO Harry Potter series. Her rare ability to craft offbeat, distinctive humour and marry it with deeply resonant human storytelling made Forbes the definitive choice for the 2026 campaign. Post-production was handled by Selected Works.

Rosie Hanley, marketing and loyalty director, said, “The John Lewis Christmas advert is a beloved tradition, but for its 20th edition, we wanted it to feel extra special. Bringing in the sparkle of Dame Kristin Scott Thomas and Sam Fender has helped bring this story to life beautifully. It’s a storyline that so many of our customers will relate to; I’ve definitely resorted to putting cash in an envelope for fear of getting it wrong. But our message this year is simple: ‘Don’t give up on giving.’ We hope this restores the nation’s gift-giving confidence and encourages customers to rediscover the joy of choosing something truly thoughtful for the people they love.”

Franki Goodwin, chief creative officer, Saatchi & Saatchi, added, “This year has been a joyful collaboration with a series of icons: a Dame, a record-breaking artist, and an enduring wooden toy. I would also add our director Lucy Forbes to that list, who was for us, the only person to bring this powerful intergenerational story to life. Finding the perfect balance between relatable family dynamics and proper magic gave us the opportunity to create this glorious celebration of giving. This one really does have something for everyone.”

Kristin Scott Thomas said, “I simply couldn’t resist the opportunity to lead a John Lewis Christmas advert - it's such a cherished part of the festive season. Plus, Gloria’s journey captured my heart straight away. She represents so many parents and grandparents who want nothing more than to create lasting memories with the younger generation. Working alongside Pickles to create the ‘Gran Cave’ was an absolute joy, and I hope the ad brings a big smile to families across the UK this Christmas.”

Physical copies of Sam Fender’s ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want’ are available on 7” and CD from the John Lewis website. The single is backed with Sam Fender’s 2020 cover of Winter Song, available physically for the first time. All John Lewis profits from each record sold will be donated to UK leading charity Action for Children, John Lewis' charity partner for its Building Happier Futures programme, which supports those who have grown up in care to build brighter futures.

Sam Fender said, “It was a privilege to rework such an iconic song by such a legendary band. In the spirit of Christmas, we re-recorded the children’s choir with the kids from my old school, John Spence Community High School, and we arranged a brass section with the Easington Colliery Band.”

Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger said, “I’m a fan of Sam’s work, so I was pleased to hear he was covering one of my songs. I think he’s done a great job with it.”

Credits

CAMPAIGN TITLE: GLORIA & PICKLES
CLIENT: John Lewis
CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER: Anna Braithwaite
MARKETING DIRECTOR: Rosie Hanley
BRAND MARKETING LEAD: Katie England
BRAND MARKETING SENIOR MANAGER: Carolyn Timberlake
BRAND MARKETING MANAGER: Laura Masters
BRAND MARKETING SENIOR EXECUTIVE: Holly Graham
John Lewis: Supplier Funded
BRAND MARKETING SENIOR MANAGER: Georgina Veasey
BRAND MARKETING MANAGER: Georgiana Bernhardt
ADVERTISING AGENCY: Saatchi & Saatchi
CCO: Franki Goodwin
CEO: Claire Hollands
CPO: Jessica Ringshall
CSO: Sam Wise
CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Simon Cheadle
HEAD OF CREATIVE (SOCIAL & BTS): Caroline Paris
ASSOCIATE CD: George Coyle
ASSOCIATE CD: Sam Simmonds
COPYWRITER: Paddy Fraser
AGENCY PRODUCER (HERO) & DEP HEAD OF PRODUCTION: Sam Robinson
SENIOR INTEGRATED PRODUCER (SUPPLIER FUNDED, SOCIAL & BTS): Izzy Woods
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT: Rita Aboderin
PLANNING DIRECTOR: Polly Whitton
PLANNER: Phoebe Lyons
BUSINESS LEAD: Isaac Hickinbottom
ACCOUNT DIRECTOR: Lupien Troelstra
ACCOUNT MANAGER: Dhara Chauhan
HEAD OF BUSINESS AFFAIRS: Charlotte Fisher
BUSINESS AFFAIRS MANAGER: Liz Staley
MEDIA AGENCY: OMD Manning Gottlieb
CHIEF CLIENT DEVELOPMENT OFFICER: Geraldine Ridgway
CLIENT BUSINESS DIRECTOR: Melanie Nixon
CLIENT ACCOUNT DIRECTOR: Taylor Cao
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, HEAD OF PLANNING: Flora Williams
CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER: Tamara Cross
HEAD OF MEDIA CREATIVITY: Will Selwyn
PARTNERSHIPS BUSINESS DIRECTOR: Chloe Jukes
STRATEGY BUSINESS DIRECTOR: Helen Brain
HEAD OF AV PLANNING: Michael Williamson
AV BUSINESS DIRECTOR: Gabriella Michalski
AV DIRECTOR: Tom Brown
SOCIAL BUSINESS DIRECTOR: Natalie Hawkins
SOCIAL DIRECTOR: Lucy Miles
PROGRAMMATIC DIRECTOR: Sophia Nall
PROGRAMMATIC MANAGER: Iain Mackinnon
MARKETING INTELLIGENCE PARTNER: Rosie Wishart
PRODUCTION COMPANY: Smuggler
DIRECTOR: Lucy Forbes
MANAGING DIRECTOR: Lucy Kelly
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Kerry Smart
PRODUCER: Martha McGuirk
PRODUCTION MANAGER: Meghan Young
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT: Tom Pritchett
DOP: Lasse Frank
2ND UNIT DP: Neils Thastum
PRODUCTION DESIGNER: Alex Holmes
COSTUME DESIGNER: Suzanne Cave
COSTUME ASSISTANT: Orla Kelleher
1ST AD: Tony Fernandez
CASTING: Ali Fearnley
SERVICE COMPANY: Solent Film
POST-PRODUCTION COMPANY: Selected Works
CREATIVE DIRECTOR / VFX SUPERVISOR: Amber Frisenda
2D LEAD: Dan Adams
2D: Georgie Ford
2D: Valeria Scalamandre
2D: Rich Roberts
2D: Pete Hodsman
2D: Mahesh Chandra
ONLINE: Max Marshall
3D Animator: Luke Frampton
3D Animator: Christina Mandia
3D: Katie Bates
3D: Mickey O’Donoghue
3D: Dave Hempstead
PRODUCER: Angie Broomfield
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Alex Fitzgerald
POST-PRODUCTION COMPANY (Colour): Harbor
COLOURIST: Toby Tomkins
HEAD OF COLOUR PRODUCTION: Charlie Morris
COLOUR PRODUCER: Sarah Banks
EDITING COMPANY: tenthree
EDITOR: Ellie Johnson
ASSISTANT: Becca Campbell
EP: Ed Hoadley
PRODUCER: Rachel Goodger
MUSIC : Wake The Town
FOUNDER/DIRECTOR: Dom Bastyra
SOUND HOUSE: 750MPH
SOUND DESIGN + MIX: Sam Ashwell, Jake Ashwell
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Olivia Ray
HEAD OF PRODUCTION: Rachel Saxon
PRODUCT SUPPLIER FILMS:
SOUND ENGINEER: Matt Valentine
HERO TALENT CASTING: TALENT REPUBLIC
Founder & CEO: Anne Batz
Talent Partnerships Lead: Emily Curtis
Accounts Director: Disha B.B.
VOICE TALENT CASTING: 750mph
Director of Voice Casting: Kirsten Troy
STILLS
PHOTOGRAPHER: Richie Hopson
SOCIAL&BTS
PRODUCTION COMPANY: Verso
Director: Louis Ellison
Producer: Jake McGowan
EDITOR
Editor: Deri Watt