John Lewis has launched its 2026 Christmas advert, Gloria and Pickles, with the tagline “Don’t give up on giving”. The retailer says it is the 20th edition of its Christmas advert. It premiered on John Lewis channels, including YouTube and Instagram, from 7.30am on 3 November 2026, with its first TV slots that evening during Coronation Street on ITV and The Great British Bake Off on Channel 4.
The campaign was created by Saatchi & Saatchi and directed by Lucy Forbes, the BAFTA-winning director known for This Is Going to Hurt and Eric. It launches with a three-minute film, which can be watched on YouTube.
A gifting story set on the streets of London
Dame Kristin Scott Thomas plays Gloria, a grandmother who puts cash in her grandchildren’s Christmas cards because she does not feel confident choosing a present they will love. Her childhood toy, Pickles the dog, a vintage Little Snoopy pull-along toy voiced by Paul Whitehouse, comes to life and tells her: “You can do better than cash.”
The pair set off on a last-minute shopping trip, and a TukTuk carries them through the streets of London until Gloria stops it outside John Lewis. On Christmas morning the children open their cards to find them empty, and Gloria hands them a key to her home office, now a “Gran Cave” of lights, disco balls and music.
Dame Kristin said 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.”
Rosie Hanley, Marketing and Loyalty Director at John Lewis, 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.”
She added: “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.”
Sam Fender’s cover and the charity link
The soundtrack is a new cover of the Rolling Stones’ You Can’t Always Get What You Want by Sam Fender, released on 3 November. 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.”
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.”
Physical copies of the single will soon be sold on 7-inch vinyl and CD on the John Lewis website, backed with Fender’s 2020 cover of Winter Song. John Lewis will give all its profits from each record sold to Action for Children, its charity partner for the Building Happier Futures programme, which supports people who have grown up in care. The retailer expects the donation to be at least £18K in total. Profits from copies sold through Sam Fender’s own store go to Teenage Cancer Trust.
Where the advert will run
After launch day the advert runs on ITV, Sky and Channel 4, on broadcaster streaming services, on Netflix, Prime Video and Disney+, in online and connected TV video, and on Meta, TikTok, YouTube, Reddit, Pinterest and Snapchat, according to John Lewis. Behind the scenes content and interviews support the film, which features John Lewis products for hosting, dressing and decorating, from the pull-along toy to disco ball decorations.
John Lewis has 36 shops, and its registered office is at 1 Drummond Gate in Pimlico. More retail news is in our companies section, including our report on the Platter restaurant at John Lewis Oxford Street and Waitrose’s Cricklewood opening.