{
  "id": 17882521,
  "title": "John Lewis Christmas ad stars Kristin Scott Thomas as glamorous granny on a gift hunt",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/john-lewis-christmas-ad-stars-kristin-scott-thomas-as-glamorous",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-11-03T00:01:32.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Guardian Business",
    "slug": "guardian-business",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/nov/03/john-lewis-christmas-advert-kristin-scott-thomas-glamorous-granny-gift-hunt"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "John Lewis has released its 20th annual Christmas ad, featuring a glamorous granny played by actress Kristin Scott Thomas. The ad, titled \"Don't Give Up on Giving,\" follows a toy dog named Pickles as Gloria, the grandmother, embarks on a quest to find unique gifts for her grandchildren. Pickles, voiced by comedian Paul Whitehouse, challenges Gloria to choose gifts better than cash. The ad showcases a range of John Lewis products, from a £12.99 Fisher-Price toy dog to a £255 Weekend Max Mara outfit worn by Gloria. This year's festive ad aims to tug at heartstrings and celebrate the brand's 20-year history of blockbuster Christmas advertisements. With concerns about rising energy bills and housing costs, John Lewis marketing director Rosie Hanley notes that Christmas-related gear spending at the store is already up compared to last year. The three-minute ad, set to a Sam Fender cover of \"You Can't Always Get What You Want,\" will debut on social media platforms before airing on TV during popular shows like Coronation Street and The Great British Bake Off. Inspired by research showing that 52% of grandparents give cash gifts due to uncertainty, the ad emphasizes the importance of thoughtful presents. Created by Saatchi & Saatchi, the ad returns to a tradition of using a cute character but focuses on the grandmother-grandchild relationship this time.",
  "summary": "Company tugs at heartstrings with Pickles the talking toy dog as it celebrates 20 years of blockbuster festive ads John Lewis has turned to a celebrity best known for playing aristocrats to put a playful but rather upmarket spin on the countdown to Christmas with this year’s festive ad, which features a toy dog called Pickles and a glamorous granny. Kristin Scott Thomas, known for playing…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}