Singer Sam Clegg’s charity Christmas advert inspired by John Lewis’ has dissolved viewers into tears with its heartwrenching message.
The recently-released John Lewis advert delivered a poignant reflection on the passage of time as we see a father and son’s bond over the years as they connect once more under the Christmas tree.
All the backing track of Alison Limerick’s 90s dance classic, Where Love Lives.
Taking inspiration from the nostalgic family tale, the Yorkshire music aritist’s festive contribution, which he says took only £400 to make, follows a sweet couple as we jump from their first Christmas together to their last.
And yes, it’s just as sad as it sounds.
The three-minute video is set to Sam’s song holiday ballad, Angel on the Tree, and opens on a young couple in the 1970s taking polaroid snaps of one another to hang on their Christmas tree.
The cosy scene ends on them dancing with one another in front of the fireplace, looking towards a happy future together.
Then, in a gutting twist, we flash forward 50 years where we soon discover the woman’s husband has died as she goes to visit his grave, and sees the spirit of her lost loved one in a passing fox.
Back at home, she cherishes the polaroids they took of one another all those years ago and, as the advert comes to an end she recreates that sweet dance with the ghost of her husband, teary eyed and alone.
The ad, which has already garnered almost 400k views, ends on the note that 1.4 million older people will spend Christmas alone.
He encourages viewers to purchase the charity single on iTunes and Amazon with proceeds going towards charities aiming to reduce this statistic and offer companionship to those most in need this time of year.
Naturally, the devastating nature of the story has reduced viewers to tears, with several sharing how it resonates with their own lives.
‘I usually dont get sentimental but this choked me right up, absolutely gorgeous song!’ YouTube user Traceylangsley4064 wrote.
‘Omg I’m crying buckets.. I miss my husband soo much, he was my soulmate, he was only fifty five,’ gillduale8020 shared.
‘This is so poignant right now and has made me become quite emotional,’ traniadams8428 said.
‘This advert is so touching. It made me cry so much,’ louiseleighton-o1x echoed.
‘My eyes just got a good rinsing there! Wasn’t expecting that. Perfect combination of video and song,’ bipolarbear agreed.
‘Brought tears to my eyes. I’ve already started buying presents, I haven’t forgotten my loved one’s who have passed. This ad made me stop and think of them. Instead of buying presents I’m doing a quick detour to the cemetery with flowers. Loved forever,’ sindyboyle commented.
‘This just touches my heart so deeply. Beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time,’ kfarawatson9351 reflected.
Sam’s alternate Christmas advert has become an annual tradition and in 2020 one of them also went viral about the bond between an old man and his dog.
Last year the 27-year-old marketing specialist’s ‘Robin’ advert racked up over two million views and the soundtrack, Send Me a Sign, reached number two on the Official Big Top 40 chart.
In an interview with Daily Mail he explained why he wanted to tackle loneliness in these alternate ads.
‘The whole idea of it started during lockdown because at the time I was 21 and I had these feelings of loneliness, as did a lot of people during lockdown.
”So, I thought, I can do something creative while raising awareness, especially at Christmas time when things are heightened,’ he said.
As to why he was following in the footsteps of John Lewis, he added: ‘I remember it was the 2012 advert, The Snowman, and it was the only one that hit me emotionally… I thought you know what, I want to emulate this into my own work.’
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