John Lewis ads are almost synonymous with UK Christmas advertising. This paper covers the creative and media principles and learnings drawn from the brand’s Christmas campaigns from 2010 to 2019. It estimates that in the period Christmas TV advertising, increasingly supported by other touch points, helped the group grow 4.4 times faster than the average across the non-food retail category. Modelling calculates advertising drove £1.2bn incremental sales and £411m net profit, with a profit ROI of up to £10 per £1 invested. The paper details the client and agency partnership and creative choices behind the brand’s distinctive and effective emotional storytelling.