The John Lewis Christmas ad is one of the more discussed events in the UK marketing calendar and is itself arguably a festive tradition.
This year’s spot features the actress Kristin Scott Thomas as a grandmother mulling whether to give her grandchildren cash or a more thoughtful gift with the help of a toy dog.
But how have the public received this year’s ad?
Data from YouGov BrandIndex shows that, between 2 November (the day before the ad was released) and 8 November, John Lewis’s Ad Awareness – measuring whether consumers have seen an ad in the past fortnight – rose by +22.1 (up from 10.0 to 32.1).
The increase is similar to the one last year, when its score was boosted by +23.4 (from 13.4 to 36.8), and it’s a larger improvement on 2024’s first-week scores, which rose by +18.1 (from 24.3 to 42.4).
However, this year’s ad compares less favourably on other metrics. Word of Mouth exposure, measuring whether consumers have heard anything about an ad, increased by 7.2 – but this is smaller than both last year’s rise of +10.2 and 2024’s improvement of +9.5.
John Lewsis’s Buzz scores, measuring whether consumers have heard anything positive or negative about the brand in the past two weeks, have declined by -2.8 following the 2026 John Lewis ad. By comparison, 2025 saw scores increase by +9.9, while in 2024 they rose by +13.3.
The public’s tempered views to the ad – shown by our data – is reflected in reaction in the press and social media. While it has received some positive coverage, it has also been criticised for “confused” messaging and compared unfavourably to rival campaigns such as the M&S ad starring James Norton as a “shredded Santa”.
However, the battle for festive eyeballs has only just begun, and it may be too early to judge the ad’s success or failure. The proof will ultimately be in the (Christmas) pudding.
