Christmas adverts: A new festive tradition?

6 November 2015

An old man stares at Earth from his bench on the moon

The department store chain John Lewis has teamed up with Age UK to produce its highly anticipated Christmas TV advert.

The John Lewis advert has become a festive tradition for many people. Some people say it is the first sign of Christmas. This year's advert features the story of a lonely old man living on the moon.

It caused quite a flood of reaction on social media. The #ManOnTheMoon hashtag is trending in the UK, the United States and Ireland.

We asked you, external to share your views on the new advert and Christmas TV adverts, external in general.

Here is a selection of your views.

'Too soon'

Some of you feel it's too soon for Christmas adverts:

Tweet: "Christmas adverts are wonderful esp the good ones but just not as early as 6 Nov please!"

Tweet: "should not start a month b4 xmas". Tweet: "Too soon for xmas trees in stores and advertising. I have seen some xmas food stuffs out of date b4 then". Tweet: "There's still plenty of 'space' between now and christmas, but I like the advert so no need to crater fuss".

However, Alison Wonderland had a different view:

Tweet: "it's NEVER too soon!" Completed with Santa Calus and Christmas tree emojis

While PapY tweeted to say there should be no Christmas marketing, external until the Remembrance Sunday has been "given its due acknowledgment".

A little girl is taking at a look at the night sky using her telescope

'Thought provoking'

Some people said the advert put a focus on loneliness and raised awareness about being lonely during the festive period. Some of you shared your views.

Amy Telford said "it's never too soon to highlight the issue of loneliness, external for older people."

Tweet: "Thank you @amestelford well said! Loneliness is an issue all year around." Tweet: "Thought it was thought provoking". Tweet: "They are very happy and festive. We need that, they boost morale in these uncertain times".

'The bane of parents' lives'

Not many people appreciated Christmas adverts. Paul Berry feels adverts promoted "nothing of what Christmas is really" and encouraged "greed and debt."

Tweet: "No they're a plague on our society: promoting nothing of what Christmas is really whilst encouraging greed & debt."

Paul Clarke tweeted that adverts are just "a money grabbing, external venture". Spare a thought for poor parents.

@dom_ross asks "why do they start appearing in early October? They are the bane of parents' lives, external for far too long".

@AngelinedeH finds the advert "annoying, external". She adds that the "happy, cosy stuff is a slap in the face for bereaved, lonely and depressed people."

'Christmas tradition'

A Coca Cola Christmas truck parking next to the Tower Bridge in London

Some of you believed there are other TV adverts that manage to capture the spirit of Christmas better than the John Lewis campaigns.

Tweet: "No advert will ever be as good as the original #CocaCola advert"

Tweet: " I have a competition with my brother every year about who sees the Cocoa cola truck ad first - sad really" with a smiley emoji

There's more to Christmas adverts than John Lewis and Coca Cola...

Tweet: "Always have been. I remember wonderful Woolworth ones."

Noel tweets that Christmas TV adverts are now a "Christmas tradition, external" along with turkeys, crackers and puddings.

However, the "Christmas tradition" is not appreciated by some, according to our readers!

Tweet: "worst part of xmas is watching the boring ads. Same old." Tweet: "No idea. I've never seen one. I record commercial television programmes then watch, later, without the advertisements."

Thanks for sharing your views, you can read more of your thoughts in our Twitter collection, external.

Complied by Paul Harrison

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