The 2025 John Lewis Christmas advert, titled “Where Love Lives,” has stirred passionate debate and nostalgia across the UK, invoking powerful emotions and criticism for its thematic choices and sense of modernity. Taking direct inspiration from the phrase, “Trade me a goat for some turnips! Nothing is more outdated than the 2025 John Lewis Christmas advert,” this article unpacks the creative, social, and cultural currents behind the campaign, exploring whether the advert is truly a relic of yesteryear, spiritless, or a heartwarming tearjerker for a new generation.
An Overview: The Christmas Advert of 2025
This year’s John Lewis Christmas advert diverges from the whimsical tales of dragons and lovable monsters, landing squarely in the territory of family bonds, a father, a teenage son, and the inexpressible gap between generations. Released to an avalanche of public reaction, the advert opens on a typical Christmas morning: gift wrap flying, relatives milling, and a subtle feeling of distance between father and son.
When the father discovers an overlooked gift, a vinyl record of Alison Limerick’s 1990 club anthem “Where Love Lives”, the narrative pivots to memory, nostalgia, and the bittersweet passage of time. The song itself, recast in a soulful new version by Labrinth, triggers a poignant journey through the father’s formative nightlife, relived in flashes while his son silently watches.
Storytelling: Generational Divide and Emotional Resonance
The Gift and Its Meaning
The present is a clever vehicle, wrapped in both literal paper and metaphor, for unspoken emotions. John Lewis’s campaign research showed that Britons are increasingly struggling to articulate their feelings, especially across parental divides. The tagline, “If you can’t find the words, find the gift,” reflects the power of a gesture to bridge gaps where language fails.
Nostalgia and the Passage of Time
Central to the advert’s impact is its visual trick of ageing the son backwards from teenager to toddler, underscoring how swiftly children grow and familial bonds evolve. Moments of clubbing, dancing, and awkward silences blend with flashbacks of childhood, reminding viewers how parental relationships shift and that sometimes, only a special Christmas gift can rekindle communication.
Father-Son Relationships and Modern Masculinity
Set against a backdrop of rising public dialogue about male loneliness and the “manosphere,” the advert is intentionally quiet, reflective, and emotionally real. Instead of dialogue, viewers witness the struggle to connect, a poignant nod to the difficulties men face in expressing affection, especially between fathers and sons. The embrace at the end, though wordless, is the ad’s emotional climax.
Reference to “Trade me a Goat for Some Turnips!”
Critical voices have questioned whether the 2025 advert is out of touch, to the extent that it feels as old-fashioned as bartering livestock for vegetables. The phrase suggests not just nostalgia but perhaps stagnation in John Lewis’s creative strategy, as some viewers and commentators have branded the ad “the worst in years” and lamented its lack of festivity and joy.
- Critics argue that the ad’s muted palette, melancholy tone, and absence of overt Christmas cheer make it feel dated, as it misses the magical excitement that previous campaigns once captured.
- Others feel the use of an actual shop visit, a gift chosen with care and not via digital means, speaks to a nostalgia so deep it verges on irrelevance in the era of one-click online shopping.
Audience Reactions: Mixed Emotions
The UK public’s response has been anything but uniform:
- Many have praised the advert for its realism, emotional depth, and resonance with families navigating generational gaps and the isolating effects of technology.
- Some viewers report being moved to tears by the sight of a father and son reconnecting, with the soundtrack amplifying the introspective mood.
- On social media, critiques abound, with some calling the narrative “terrible,” “unimaginative,” and not Christmassy enough, longing for playful characters like 2017’s Moz the Monster or 2019’s Edgar the Dragon.
Yet, others feel that the emotional truth at the advert’s core is its strength, its timelessness in vulnerability, and its universal portrayal of family dynamics.
Creative and Production Insights
- The ad was created by Saatchi & Saatchi, who leaned heavily into research showing that Millennials, a generation now parenting teens themselves, crave authenticity, connection, and reminders of their own formative years.
- The use of classic vinyl record imagery, alongside real-life flashbacks and a contemporary setting, anchors the campaign in emotional realism, referencing both past and present Christmases.
Social Commentary and the Future
Masculinity and Connection in 2025
As society increasingly discusses male isolation and emotional wellness, John Lewis’s ad feels more like a cultural intervention than a retail promotion. It seeks to show that true connection—especially across generational divides, may be harder than ever, but worthwhile gifts (chosen with intention) can still bridge the gap.
The “Outdated” Charge: Is It Fair?
Evaluating the phrase “Trade me a goat for some turnips!” against the campaign’s aims, the 2025 advert may seem outdated, but perhaps it is better seen as timeless. Its fondness for retro music, slow-burn sentimentality, and familial bonding may appear old-fashioned, yet they speak to enduring truths about love, memory, and Christmas itself.
