The animated ad, with the tagline, 'give somene a Christmas they'll never forget', follows the department store's usual formula, with a storyline that tugs at the heart strings and a soundtrack, likely to top the charts.

This year, the ad is set to a cover of Keane's Somewhere Only We Know by pop star Lily Allen.

To create further buzz around the TV commercial this year, John Lewis has even set up Twitter accounts for the two main characters in the animated short - @JohnLewis_Hare and @JohnLewis_Bear, plus @JL_BearAndHare. How do the animals find the time?