With the rumours that the highly anticipated new John Lewis Christmas ad is just days away, we’ve been reminiscing about the phenomenon that has become the seasonal advert.

John Lewis set the bar six years ago and other high street big names have been trying to steal the crown with a Christmas advert that gets the nation talking (or crying) ever since. Sainsbury’s tugged on the heartstrings partnering with the Royal British Legion in 2014 and even value supermarket Lidl has joined the big boys with its annual release.

Anticipation has grown year on year since John Lewis’ game-changing ‘The Long Wait’ in 2011 and has now reached almost fever-pitch levels. Last year’s two-minute wonder received 56 million views on Facebook and YouTube before the turkey had been carved.

But even the masters are not immune to the occasional minor faux pas – remember last year’s ‘Bounce’ starring the trampolining boxer dog which may have inadvertently revealed that there is no Father Christmas?

We’re beginning to see trailers for adverts akin to the kind of hype usually reserved for the launch of block-busting feature films. These retailers and their creative agencies have managed to create ‘buzz’ and rumours about when it will first air, who will be the star, and what of the theme tune?

2017 has already seen build-up and gossip abound on social media. From Marks and Spencer teaming up with Paddington to red herrings, teasers and rumoured leaks on Twitter, this year is shaping up to be even more extravagant than the last.

Evidently, in a world where major retailers are reporting losses on a weekly basis, the advertising budget for these mini-films shows no sign of being tightened. But with terror and tragedy appearing on the news agenda on a daily basis, don’t we all yearn for some Christmas magic.

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(Image sourced on Pixabay)