Man creates alternative 2025 John Lewis advert that’s leaving people in tears

Just as John Lewis rolls around with another emotional offering for the festive season like clockwork, so too does musician Sam Clegg with something of his own creation.

This year's John Lewis advert features a father and son addressing the unspoken bond between them as they've both grown up and grown apart a bit and it's tugging on the same old heartstrings it always does.

Christmas adverts have taken off so much in the past few years that pretty much every supermarket will be doing one and a number of other retailers will be putting out what is essentially a two-minute short film.

However, another annual tradition that's taken off is musician Sam Clegg creating his own Christmas advert accompanied by one of his songs in order to raise money for the charities Re-engage and Friends of the Elderly.

Last year, the advert featured a man who looks after a robin, while this year Sam has turned the clock back 50 years to 1975 and a couple taking pictures of each other in front of the Christmas tree.

Turning their polaroid pictures into ornaments the couple happily celebrate Christmas together.

Then we hop forward to 2025 and they're still putting up the old, weathered pictures before they head off on a walk where they end up at a graveyard.

Laying flowers on her husband's grave, the old woman mourns while her man fades away and the date of death reveals this is going to be her first Christmas without him.

Sam explained that he put the advert together for less than £400 and you can buy the song he made for it for less than £1, with proceeds going towards the two charities which help tackle loneliness among older people in the UK.

The sad truth is that across the country this Christmas there will be lots of people for whom the supposed most wonderful time of the year will feel incredibly lonely.

While the John Lewis advert played on the emotions for what was likely a large budget, Sam managed to have a similar impact with a much more modest budget.

Plenty of people commented on the video to say it resonated with their experience of losing a loved one ahead of Christmas.

They said the video 'made me cry my heart out' and that the song 'Angel on the Tree' which Sam wrote really 'sums everything up' about the experience of facing life without someone who has been with you every step of the way.

Lots of folks said the advert 'made me cry' but many also said it was 'beautiful' as they shared stories of the loved ones who were gone but very much not forgotten.

It's an important reminder that for some people Christmas won't be about spending time with the family, it'll be about remembering those who no longer have a Christmas to spend.

Good job, Sam.