As you can see, it’s all about giving a little love instead of presents this year: to strangers, to your lonely neighbour, to people who feel they don’t fit in and to the people you know and cherish. We are very much here for the man who spends all day laughing at the cracker joke. And the hedgehog who wants to be a hip-hop pigeon has captured our hearts.

The retailer said it deliberately commissioned eight animation artists as a way to provide work for the struggling creative community, which has been crippled by coronavirus restrictions. And, because of job cuts that had to be made during the pandemic, the group also said it had spent less money on producing the ad this year.

Although it’s not the biggest tearjerker, it’s sweet and it gives hope. Perhaps, instead of making us all cry this year, John Lewis wants to put smiles on faces instead. But there’s also another very important message behind it.

John Lewis Christmas advert 2020: the unexpected story behind this year’s ad