When is the John Lewis Christmas advert 2022? Release date rumours

Last year's advert aired on November 4

A photo of the front of a John Lewis shop with Christmas lights
(Image credit: Getty Images)

As the festive period draws closer, many are asking when is the John Lewis Christmas advert 2022?

It's officially time to start counting down to Christmas, as retailers across the country have unveiled their festive offerings. And as well as the numerous Christmas menu options, festive songs have begun playing in all the stores - leaving many wondering how much money Mariah Carey makes every Christmas.

But there's one sure sign that the festive season is approaching, and that's the arrival of the John Lewis Christmas advert. With its first airing likely to be just days away, we've done some digging to find out everything there is to know about this year's advert, including when you can expect it to land.

When is the John Lewis Christmas advert 2022?

The 2022 John Lewis Christmas advert first aired on Thursday November 10. In past years, the advert has been released in the first two weeks of November, with some eagle-eyed viewers noticing it always arrives on a Thursday.

Last year's 'Unexpected Guest' was released on November 4, but 2020's 'Give a Little Love' landed on November 13. 'Excitable Edgar' from 2019 arrived on November 14 and 'The Boy & The Piano' from 2018 - which was inspired by Sir Elton John - dropped on November 15.

What song is on the John Lewis advert this year?

The song for the 2022 John Lewis advert hasn't been confirmed, and it's unlikely we'll know what it is and who sings the new John Lewis advert song for sure until it airs on TV. However, it will probably be an emotive cover of a well-loved tune, as is usually the case in past years.

Last year saw Lola Young cover Philip Oakey and Giorgio Moroder's 'Together in Electric Dreams', and other covers include Oasis' 'Half the World Away' sung by Aurora for the 2015 advert and The Smiths' 'Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want', covered by Slow Moving Millie in 2011.

In 2010, Ellie Goulding covered Elton John's 'Your Song' for the ad, before John Lewis used the original version for their 2018 campaign.

Often, the songs used in the John Lewis Christmas adverts enter the charts for that year. Gabrielle Aplin's cover of 'The Power of Love' in 2012 and Lily Allen's cover of 'Somewhere Only We Know' in 2013 both peaked at number one, while 2014's 'Real Love' covered by Tom Odell reached number seven. 

What will the 2022 John Lewis Christmas advert be about?

As usual, John Lewis has kept the details of their Christmas advert under wraps. But among social media users there has been speculation that this year's theme could touch on the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.

During the mourning period, many heart warming stories emerged of people who had joined the queue to see the late Queen lying in state, with new friendships forming and people bonding over the shared experience. 

On social media, several individuals have voiced the possibility of this year's John Lewis Christmas ad being about people meeting in the queue.

The idea would certainly fit with the usual plot lines John Lewis uses for their Christmas adverts, which often centre around friendship and kindness. Last year, we saw a boy befriend an alien that had crash-landed on Earth, teaching her Christmas traditions.

When did John Lewis start doing Christmas adverts?

John Lewis launched their first Christmas advert in 2007. It was called shadows, and showed people piling gifts together in front of a light, to make a shadow that looked like a woman walking her dog through the snow.

It was much simpler than the plot lines seen in John Lewis ads of recent years, and the music used was Prokofiev's morning serenade from Romeo and Juliet. It was in 2008 that they started covering popular songs for their Christmas ad, with a version of 'From Me To You' by The Beatles.

It was for their third Christmas advert in 2009 that John Lewis started working with the agency Adam & Eve (now part of DDB Worldwide), who have created their yearly festive advert ever since.

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Ellie Hutchings
Family News Editor

Ellie is GoodtoKnow’s Family News Editor and covers all the latest trends in the parenting world - from relationship advice and baby names to wellbeing and self-care ideas for busy mums. Ellie is also an NCTJ-qualified journalist and has a distinction in MA Magazine Journalism from Nottingham Trent University and a first-class degree in Journalism from Cardiff University. Previously, Ellie has worked with BBC Good Food, The Big Issue, and the Nottingham Post, as well as freelancing as an arts and entertainment writer alongside her studies. When she’s not got her nose in a book, you’ll probably find Ellie jogging around her local park, indulging in an insta-worthy restaurant, or watching Netflix’s newest true crime documentary.