Viewers Left In Tears By Emotional £50 Budget Christmas Advert

The release of the John Lewis Christmas advert is a huge landmark in the UK festive calendar. It was launched last week, starring Elton John, and cost the company a reported £7 million ($8,996,600). But now there are calls for a budget filmmaker to be put at the helm for next year's production after his own Christmas advert, which he made on a budget of £50 ($64), went viral.

Phil Beastall, from Gloucestershire, shared his short film on Facebook this week and it quickly racked up more than five million views.

The 32-year-old's video, entitled 'Love Is A Gift', follows a man as he ticks off the days on his calendar during the countdown to Christmas, as many do. But then, as he reaches the big day, he opens a box containing a Walkman and cassette tapes. He then listens to one of the tapes, which transpires is the final message from his dead mother.

It soon becomes clear that the mother has left her son one message to listen to every Christmas and it is all very twitchy nose, blinky eyes, try your best not to cry stuff.

The film then ends with the message: 'Love is a gift, that lasts forever. Merry Christmas'.

Mr Beastall has been inundated with messages since he shared the film this week, which he originally made in 2014 but republished following the release of the John Lewis advert.

Thousands commented on the film, with some arguing that he should be allowed to preside over the next John Lewis advert.

One person said: "In tears. I have no words except John Lewis, tell your advertising team they [are] sacked. Stop plugging Elton John's song and get this man to do your adverts."

Another said: "Best advert ever, maybe John Lewis should pay him a million."

Mr Beastall said he would be open to the proposition, should Mr Lewis and his team come knocking on his door.

He said: "I think there's a bit of a revolution going on in the advertising industry.

"People no longer want to be overtly sold something which makes our job as video producers a lot harder because we have to sell indirectly.

"But the good thing about this is that when selling to consumers we can focus on selling lifestyles and indirectly sell the products or services that fit that lifestyle.

"A lot of people are struggling financially so to hear that millions is being spent on these campaigns isn't sitting well with people.

"People have been saying that it's just an opportunity to celebrate Elton John and promote his new film.

"Having said that, I enjoyed John Lewis' advert. I liked the fact that a success story like Elton's can start with something as simple as receiving a piano.

"But if John Lewis knocked on my door tomorrow and said, 'Would you want to make next year's film?' I would obviously snap it up in an instant."

Topics: TV and Film, UK Entertainment

Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey