John Lewis is tapping into 90s nostalgia with its 2025 Christmas campaign, focusing on the relationship between a father and son to a soundtrack of Alison Limerick’s 1990 club hit ‘Where Love Lives’, which the campaign takes its name from.  

Released today (4 November), Where Love Lives depicts a father discovering a present under the Christmas tree when beginning the wrapping paper clean-up – a vinyl record of Limerick’s track from his son, alongside a 2025 version by Labrinth. It’s built on insight from John Lewis that the right present can express what words can’t.  

It follows a similar path to 2025’s festive offering in terms of eschewing brand characters in favour of a human-focused campaign.  

Despite music being a key theme of John Lewis’s Christmas campaigns historically, it’s the first time the retailer has put music into the story through a product. A limited edition run of Where Love Lives is available to buy, with all profits from the £14.99 record going to the John Lewis Partnership’s Building Happier Futures programme.  

The 120-second film, created with Saatchi & Saatchi, will run across TV, digital and cinema, and is supported by a “fully integrated” mix of out of home, social and digital activity, alongside “extensive” in-store experiences throughout the festive period.  

The full campaign will feature hero products from Oura, De’Longhi, Dyson and Shark. The TV ad will launch at 8pm today during Channel 4’s Great British Bake Off final.

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Christmas banger for all generations

By featuring a 90s hit in a moment of nostalgia for the decade, John Lewis is tapping into “that older audience, but also the younger ones,” says Amy Tippen-Smith, brand marketing lead at John Lewis. “It should land to multiple generations.”  

John Lewis is keeping its marketing investment in this year’s festive campaign “similar year on year,” says Tippen-Smith, though it’s “changing” where the money goes.  

“We’re very much reflecting on how people are engaging in media, so much more unified video viewing, really looking at how do we engage in the platforms that people are using on social, short snackable content,” she adds, to make sure the brand is “unmissable”.  

For 2025, John Lewis has “really emphasised and focused” on how it can “sustain” the campaign for the full festive season.  

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Following a similar template to last year, the brand pushed out a September campaign to connect consumers in the lead up to Christmas, putting the brand “front of mind” and building buzz.  

“So, it’s not just about that big launch moment, but the new, exciting social activations that are really continuing the theme and messages throughout,” says Tippen-Smith. 

“This year’s John Lewis Christmas campaign is a celebration of connection, memory, and the unspoken emotions that make the season truly magical,” says Rosie Hanley, director of brand.   

“At John Lewis, we understand the power of a thoughtful gift, and we hope the ad will inspire our customers to find the gift that articulates their feelings, allowing the present itself to speak volumes where words may sometimes fall short.”