John Lewis Christmas advert 2024: when will it be released - and what date did previous ads arrive?

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  • John Lewis has been releasing Christmas adverts since 2007. 
  • In the first few years, audiences had to wait until December. 
  • However in recent years, it has arrived much sooner - dropping in early-to-mid November. 

The John Lewis Christmas advert is a true festive institution in Britain. Lovable characters like Monty the Penguin, Buster the Boxer and Excitable Edgar have all wormed their way into our collective memory. 

And now the calendar has turned over into November, you might be counting down the days until the most anticipated seasonal campaign arrives. John Lewis’ sister company Waitrose has already dropped its own Christmas advert - and it will take something special to beat. 

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The supermarket arm of the John Lewis Partnership has debuted an all-star ‘whodunnit’ mystery style two-part advert. The first part arrived on November 5 and ended on a cliffhanger - which is still yet to be resolved. 

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But when could the John Lewis Christmas advert arrive? Let’s take a look at recent trends to see if we can spot any clues. 

When did previous John Lewis Christmas adverts release? 

Christmas lights outside John Lewis store at Oxford Street, London. Photo: Miles Willis/Getty Images for New West End CompanyChristmas lights outside John Lewis store at Oxford Street, London. Photo: Miles Willis/Getty Images for New West End Company
Christmas lights outside John Lewis store at Oxford Street, London. Photo: Miles Willis/Getty Images for New West End Company | Miles Willis/Getty Images for New West End Company

The records for the first seven adverts are more vague, but they all released in the same month. However for the adverts post 2014, we have exact release dates that can be used as reference points. 

The list is as follows: 

  • 2007 - Shadows, released in December 
  • 2008 - Clues, released in December 
  • 2009 - The Feeling, released in December 
  • 2010 - A Tribute to Givers, released in December 
  • 2011 - The Long Wait, released in December 
  • 2012 - The Journey, released in December 
  • 2013 - The Bear and the Hare, released in December 
  • 2014 - Monty The Penguin, November 7 
  • 2015 - The Man on the Moon, November 6 
  • 2016 - Buster the Boxer, November 10 
  • 2017 - Moz the Monster, November 10 
  • 2018 - The Boy and the Piano, November 15
  • 2019 - Excitable Edgar, November 14 
  • 2020 - Give a Little Love, November 13 
  • 2021 - An Unexpected Guest, November 4 
  • 2022 - The Beginner, November 10 
  • 2023 - Snapper, November 9 

Does it give any clues for 2024? 

The previous 10 John Lewis Christmas adverts were released in November, after initially dropping in December. So it is safe to say you can expect it to arrive in the coming weeks. 

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In terms of when exactly in November the previous adverts have been released, it has bounced around a fair bit. The earliest release date has been November 4 - with 2021’s An Unexpected Guest - and the latest was November 15 for 2018’s The Boy and the Piano. 

The two most recent John Lewis Christmas adverts arrived on a Thursday - November 10 in 2022 and November 9 in 2023. In fact aside from 2020, 2017, 2015 and 2014 all of the adverts released in November have dropped on a Thursday. 

So we can suspect that the John Lewis advert will likely arrive on a Thursday in November - if it follows the recent trend. It is also usually released in the first half of the month leaving two possible dates (based on prior years): 

  • Thursday November 7 
  • Thursday November 14 

Meaning we probably don’t have to wait much longer to see the 2024 John Lewis Christmas advert. 

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How can you watch the John Lewis Christmas advert? 

When it is released it will be available on YouTube - all you will have to do is search John Lewis Christmas advert 2024. It will also be shared on social media platforms by the company’s official accounts. 

If you watch terrestrial TV - channels like ITV, Channel 4, Sky - John Lewis will usually announce the first time it will air, when it releases the advert on social media. We will update this article at the time. 

Are you excited for the John Lewis Christmas advert? Which is the best you’ve seen so far - share your thoughts by emailing me: [email protected]

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