Just 24 hours after the first batch of 2026 festive ads, here comes another sprinkling of festive joy bursting on to screens large and small across the UK. And, with John Lewis once again getting in unusually early, like it or not, Christmas is well and truly under way.
In fact, John Lewis’ 2026 activity, “Gloria and Pickles”, is the 20th edition of the retailer’s Christmas ad, although for some reason it feels like the retailer has always been there for the festivities.
The campaign, created by Saatchi & Saatchi, launches with a three-minute film that follows Gloria – played by Slow Horses star and Oscar-nominated and Bafta-winning actress Dame Kristin Scott Thomas – and her faithful companion and childhood gift, Pickles the dog.
Set against the festive tagline “Don’t Give Up on Giving”, the story touches on a modern truth: the fear of not finding the “perfect gift” can overshadow the simple pleasure of giving something thoughtful this festive season and is brought to life through the special bond between grandparents and grandchildren.
Chart-topping singer-songwriter Sam Fender has provided the soundtrack for the film with his new single, a cover of The Rolling Stones’ classic You Can’t Always Get What You Want.
In a nutshell, it’s Christmas Eve, and Gloria is putting the finishing touches on her home, ready to welcome her family for the big day. The doorbell rings, ushering in her daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren, Freddie and Maggie. The pesky kids are restless from the long journey, so Gloria retrieves her old toy collection from the attic in an attempt to keep them entertained.
She introduces her grandchildren to ‘Pickles the dog’, a vintage Little Snoopy Pull-Along Toy, but they are not impressed and are quickly distracted by shouts for lunch, leaving Gloria feeling that she doesn’t know what they really want.
While alone, Gloria writes their Christmas cards and places cash inside each envelope, as she doesn’t feel confident in her ability to choose gifts her grandkids genuinely love. Suddenly, the toy dog springs to life, voiced by writer and comedian Paul Whitehouse, and berates her lack of effort: “You can do better than cash”.
Pickles drags Gloria out of the house on a gifting mission. And, after a false start Pickles convinces her to go for one last ride, shouting “Lighten up Grandma!” as they fly through the streets of London in a bright and vibrant TukTuk, which she calls to a halt outside John Lewis.
Cut to Christmas morning, our Gloria hands the grandkids their Christmas cards, but, instead of cash she holds up a single key. Unlocking her home office door, they discover the “Gran Cave”, filled with sparkling lights, disco balls, and music inspired by her TukTuk adventure. Delighted, Freddie and Maggie throw their arms around their grandmother, as the thoughtful surprise bridges the generational gap through a moment of pure joy.
John Lewis marketing and loyalty director Rosie Hanley said: “Bringing in the sparkle of Dame Kristin Scott Thomas and Sam Fender has helped bring this story to life beautifully. It’s a storyline that so many of our customers will relate to; I’ve definitely resorted to putting cash in an envelope for fear of getting it wrong.
“But 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.”
From one old hand at Christmas campaigns to a festive virgin: Thatchers Cider has unveiled its first-ever seasonal TV ad, created in partnership with Aardman and Bray Leino.
The festive adventure celebrates the lengths Thatchers goes to in pursuit of the perfect pint, with the aim of reinforcing the brand’s commitment to quality while bringing a little Christmas magic to screens across the UK.
Created at Aardman’s Bristol studios, just over 20 miles from Thatchers’ Somerset farm, the film combines traditional stop-motion animation and puppetry with CGI, blending Aardman’s signature handcrafted charm with innovative production techniques.
Developed by Thatchers’ long-standing creative agency partner Bray Leino, the ad will run across a raft of channels, including ITV, Sky, Netflix and Channel 4, alongside digital and social activity and forms the centrepiece of the cider maker’s biggest festive media investment to date.
It also extends into the retail environment with festive activity planned across more than 2,000 stores nationwide. Under the message ‘Tis the season for perfect cider, Thatchers will drive seasonal visibility through feature space, front of store outdoor, in-store screens, online banners and social media. Additionally, pub activation, PR and social media activity will support the campaign, helping to keep Thatchers front of mind throughout the festive period.
Martin Thatcher, the fourth generation cider maker at Thatchers Cider, said: “At Thatchers, we work to ensure every pint is perfect, and that doesn’t stop for Christmas. We loved the idea of bringing that commitment to quality to life in a fun, festive way, and Aardman have done a brilliant job of capturing it, with a tasting time Christmas mission.
“Working with the talented team at Aardman to bring our first Christmas advert to life has been incredibly exciting. We’re both proud of our South West roots and share a real passion for craftsmanship, and getting every last detail just right. We hope the advert brings a smile to people’s faces and becomes a little part of their Christmas cheer.”
Meanwhile, online retailer Very‘s campaign, “That’s the Very Thing”, is designed to bring its brand proposition to life through an expanded cast of – yes, you guessed it – animated flamingo characters.
Developed by Very’s lead creative agency The Gate, and produced by M3Labs, with me, the campaign actually introduces a new flamingo family. Launching across TV, streaming, out-of-home, radio and digital channels, the 30-second film follows a young flamingo as he searches for his own dream gift, and finds himself transported through the Very cube into the dream worlds of his family along the way.
Each flamingo has a moment of escapism, drawn from the great selection of dream gifts available from Very. Back in reality, the flamingo family celebrate Christmas together, made easy with Very’s choice of ways to pay, free delivery and returns.
Very Group marketing director Beckie Crane-Stanion said: “Christmas and Black Friday are key calendar moments for our customers, and Very’s flock of flamingos have gone through a transformation to bring even more warmth and build on the gains already made across brand fame, brand attribution and emotional connection to Very. This year, by embracing new technology, we’ve enhanced the creative concept to introduce a new family which we’re confident our customers will love!”
And, finally, just to show Christmas is not all about shopping, Dogs Trust has unveiled its festive campaign created by VCCP Blue, which celebrates the lengths people will go to help dogs find their forever homes.
It is rooted in the insight that people don’t just love dogs; they go to extraordinary lengths for them, not because they have to, but because it is part of who they are.
At the heart of the campaign sits a 60″ film directed by Charlie Thorne through VCCP‘s Girl&Bear Studios, called “Kira Needs a Family”.
The film follows eight-year-old Jack on a mission to find a loving home for Kira, a real-life rescue dog from Dogs Trust. Armed with handmade posters and boundless determination, Jack rallies his community and dedicates his Christmas and New Year to finding Kira the family she deserves.
As Jack’s devotion to Kira unfolds, his parents begin to realise that the qualities Kira needs most in a forever home have been right in front of them all along. In Jack, Kira has found the love, patience and unwavering commitment every rescue dog deserves, bringing the story to a heartwarming conclusion that celebrates the difference a loving home can make.
The integrated film spans TV, video-on-demand (VOD), cinema, social media, digital display, out-of-home (OOH), audio, radio and ad pause placements from today until 31st December across the UK, including placements across Channel 4, ITV, Sky, Netflix and Disney+.
Media strategy, planning and buying is handled by the7stars, with digital activity led by Propellernet both agencies have also created bespoke media partnerships to further celebrate Happy Places for dogs this Christmas. The Academy PR is supporting the campaign’s wider public relations activity.
Dogs Trust chief executive Owen Sharp said: “At Christmas, the importance of family is more significant than ever to many. We know that dog lovers, just like Jack, believe that no home is complete without a dog and will go to extraordinary lengths to help ensure that all dogs have a happy home to call their own.
“At Dogs Trust, we believe that every dog deserves a happy place – at Christmas, and for life. We want our advert to shine a light on the thousands of dogs across the UK who are currently in rehoming centres or foster homes, patiently waiting for their new family.”
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