John Lewis ad hits highest rating since 2019

Starring Dame Kristin Scott Thomas as a grandmother searching for the perfect Christmas gift, the campaign is John Lewis's second-highest-rated Christmas advert in the past eight years.

John Lewis's 2026 Christmas advert, Gloria and Pickles, has achieved a 5.6-Star Rating from creative effectiveness company System1, making it the retailer's highest-scoring festive campaign since Excitable Edgar in 2019, which earned 5.9 Stars.

It also marks the fourth consecutive year of improving ratings since Saatchi & Saatchi took over the retailer's Christmas advertising in 2023.

John Lewis Christmas advert ratings continue to rise

The 5.6-Star Rating surpasses the 5.1 Stars achieved by 2025's Where Love Lives and continues a steady upward trajectory under Saatchi & Saatchi. The agency's first Christmas campaign for the retailer, Snapper: The Perfect Tree, scored 3.6 Stars in 2023, followed by 4.6 Stars in 2024 and 5.1 Stars in 2025.

This year's three-minute film, built around the message Don't give up on giving, follows Gloria as she searches for meaningful presents for her grandchildren. When her childhood toy dog Pickles, voiced by Paul Whitehouse, comes to life, the pair embark on a last-minute Christmas shopping adventure.

System1 highlights emotional impact of Christmas campaign

Set to Sam Fender's cover of The Rolling Stones' You Can't Always Get What You Want, the advert concludes with Gloria transforming her study into a magical Gran Cave, creating a space where she can make memories with her grandchildren.

System1's testing found that 61 percent of viewers felt happy while watching the advert, nearly twice the UK television advertising average. The results highlight the campaign's emotional appeal and its message about the value of thoughtful gifting.

Saatchi & Saatchi partnership delivers consistent results

Andrew Tindall, Chief Growth Officer, Advertising at System1: "Gloria and Pickles is John Lewis's strongest Christmas ad since Excitable Edgar in 2019, scoring 5.6 Stars. It's also the fourth year in a row that a Saatchi & Saatchi ad for John Lewis has beaten the one before it. The story changes every year, but the idea underneath never does: the joy of a thoughtful gift. Consistency compounds creativity, and John Lewis is the proof. Dame Kristin Scott Thomas carries one clear story from start to finish, and 61% of viewers left feeling happy, nearly double the average UK TV ad. John Lewis backed a new agency, gave them time to build, and the public are rewarding them for it."

John Lewis Christmas advert Star Ratings, 2019–2026

Year	Campaign	Star Rating	Rank
2026	Gloria and Pickles	5.6	2nd
2025	Where Love Lives	5.1	3rd
2024	The Gifting Hour	4.6	4th
2023	Snapper: The Perfect Tree	3.6	6th
2022	The Beginner	3.3	7th
2021	An Unexpected Guest	3.1	8th
2020	Give a Little Love	4.4	5th
2019	Excitable Edgar	5.9	1st