John Lewis has officially unveiled its much-anticipated 2026 Christmas advert, starring Dame Kristin Scott Thomas and Paul Whitehouse.
Titled Gloria and Pickles, the three-minute advert centres on the relationship between grandparents and grandchildren, encouraging shoppers to rediscover the joy of choosing thoughtful Christmas gifts.
Created by Saatchi & Saatchi, the film sees Scott Thomas play Gloria, a grandmother struggling to find the perfect present for her grandchildren, Freddie and Maggie.
After initially deciding to give them cash, Gloria is challenged by her childhood toy dog Pickles, voiced by comedian Paul Whitehouse, who springs to life and encourages her to make more effort.
The pair embark on a last-minute shopping adventure through London, culminating in Gloria transforming her home office into a glittering ‘Gran Cave’, complete with disco balls, fairy lights and music.
The advert is soundtracked by Sam Fender’s cover of The Rolling Stones’ You Can’t Always Get What You Want.
The campaign, which carries the tagline ‘Don’t give up on giving’, was inspired by research showing that 52 per cent of grandparents give cash as presents because they are unsure what their grandchildren want.
John Lewis marketing and loyalty director Rosie Hanley said the company wanted to make this year’s campaign ‘particularly special’ as it celebrates its 20th edition.
“Our message this year is simple: ‘Don’t give up on giving,'” she said.
John Lewis has also increased its investment in this year’s advert, with Hanley expressing confidence that the campaign would deliver a strong return as retailers compete for shoppers’ attention ahead of Black Friday.
John Lewis said Christmas-related sales were already running ahead of last year, despite continued pressure on household budgets.
The full three-minute film launches across John Lewis’s social media channels today, with a shorter version making its television debut on ITV and Channel 4 later this evening.
Fender’s cover will also be released commercially, with proceeds supporting Teenage Cancer Trust and Action for Children.
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