John Lewis Christmas spot shows us Where Loves Lives

And, this year's celebrations have a decidedly 90s tinge to them, as well as a powerful and beautifully told message about familial love and connection.

Called Where Love Lives, the spot is created by Saatchi & Saatchi London and directed by Jonathan Alric [one half of acclaimed directing duo The Blaze] through Iconoclast, and is a two minute film telling the story of a father and his son, Harry.

While music is always an integral part of any John Lewis Christmas campaign, this year's offering puts the music at the centre of the idea and means it plays an even greater role than usual.

Set on Christmas Day as a teenage boy is listening to his headphones, in a world of his own, while Dad clears the wrapping paper from beneath the tree. But, tucked away at the base of the tree is an unopened gift which has a Post-It note stuck to it which simply says, 'Dad', with a hand-drawn smiley face next to it. Dad opens it to find a vinyl copy of Alison Limerick's 1990 house classic, Where Love Lives.

Heading straight to his record player Dad drops the needle and the opening bars of the song fill the room. Closing his eyes, the music brings his memories to life, transporting him back to the 1990s of his youth. Viewers are then taken on the Dad’s journey as he loses himself in the music, imagining himself in a 90s club, dancing with his friends. Then, through the strobe lights, he spots his teenage son across the crowd, but the son begins to fade beneath the flashing lights as the music swells to a crescendo.

"We found this track early on in the process, and the lyrics really resonated with the theme of the ad."

Dad calls for him but, when he finally sees him, he is no longer a teen, but a toddler, taking his first steps towards him. Another flash and Dad holds his newborn son tightly in his arms, the music becoming a bridge between then and now, between memory and love.

We then shift back to the present day as Labrinth’s newly reimagined version of the track echoes softly and Dad is back in the living room as the teenage boy comes down the stairs and catches his dad enjoying his gift. He looks on, slightly embarrassed, until his dad pulls him into an embrace. They share a quiet, unspoken moment - a wordless 'thank you', carrying the weight of 'I know we aren’t as close as we used to be but I love you.'

"Luckily we found this track early on in the process," explains Saatchi's ECD Will John, "and the lyrics really resonated with the theme of the ad."

Above: Alison Limerick, holding the limited edition vinyl release of Where Love Lives, and Labrinth, whose reimagining of the track features both on the film and on the B side of the vinyl.

Like last year's Christmas spot, The Gifting Hour, the ad is once again more grounded in reality than many previous JL campaigns, and the emotional punch is still there, especially if you're a dad of a certain age. "We always want to retain the traditional John Lewis storytelling approach," says Franki Goodwin, Saatchi's CCO, "but also move it on. We wanted to stay rooted in relationships because we enjoyed doing that last year. We always want to move it on and add something, but not just for the sake of it, but because it's authentic to the story.

"We always want to move [the Christmas campaign] on and add something, but not just for the sake of it, but because it's authentic to the story."

"Music is always the beating heart of the John Lewis campaign at Christmas but this year it’s the gift itself. The campaign poignantly explores the power of a gift to communicate something we might not be able to put into words. A banger on many levels in many channels, I hope it inspires lots of thoughtful, expressive gifting and some family trawls through old playlists on Christmas Day too!”

Alongside the film will be social content which pulls back the curtain with behind-the-scenes snippets from the making of the campaign. Additionally, Rough Trade at John Lewis will exclusively stock a vinyl record of Where Love Lives, all the profits of which will support the John Lewis Partnership’s Building Happier Futures programme. Side A of the vinyl treats music fans to Limerick's iconic original version, while the B side presents artist and producer Labrinth’s reimagined version, which also features in the film.