John Lewis Christmas advert previews online

John Lewis has given a preview of its annual Christmas advert campaign today.

The John Lewis Christmas advert has quickly become one of the early signs of Christmas since the 2010 advert featuring a boy who waits all year to give rather than get a presents was a national hit.

This year’s advert continues the theme of the previous years of going the extra mile to get your loved one the perfect gift.

In a classically animated advert the story of best friends, a bear and hare is set to a Cover of Keane’s ‘Somewhere Only We Know’ sung by Lily Allen.

The ad, at 120 seconds, is longer than most adverts and will take up a whole advert break of ITV’s X-Factor tomorrow night (9 November)

In total the whole campaign has cost a staggering £7 million to maintain the John Lewis brand as one of the top Christmas retailers.

Craig Inglis, Marketing Director, John Lewis, comments: “We wanted our advert to reflect the importance of finding the right gift for friends and loved ones, a theme which we have built on for a number of years. Through the use of hand-crafted animation, we’re hoping to evoke nostalgia and build anticipation ahead of Christmas.”