The holidays are here and the barrage of advertisements has begun, but one brand is standing above the rest for their powerful message this season.
U.K. retailer John Lewis & Partners, known for their imaginative Christmas advertisements, is instead putting a spotlight on an important cause for 2022.
In this year's highly anticipated ad, the brand has launched "The Beginner" which shares the story of a family preparing to welcome a child in foster care — but the viewer doesn't know that at first.
As the 90-second ad begins, a man is seen buckling on a helmet and attempting to learn — unsuccessfully — to skateboard.
A cover of Blink 182's "All The Small Things" by Mike Geier begins to play as the man's efforts progress through more falls and skateboard-related injuries through the Christmas season.
At the end of the video, the family is seen opening the door to a social worker and a girl, who is holding her skateboard.
“I skate a bit too," the man says pointing to his own battered board.
The ad ends with a frame sharing that there are more than 108,000 children and young people in the U.K.’s care system.
In the United States, according to a 2021 report by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, about 391,000 children are in foster care.
In just 24 hours since being shared, the ad posted to the brand's Youtube channel has amassed more than 2.2 million views.
"As someone who’s been in the care system myself as a child, this really feels close to home ... It does make you think about how powerful adverts can be, even if they are simple and basic," one user wrote.
Another added, "This hits home really hard, as a former foster kid who was in the system for 11 years. It's really heartwarming to see this."
The British retailer is known for its special Christmas ads.
The brand shared a behind-the-scenes video for this year's ad.
"We used our advert this Christmas to highlight an issue close to hearts, so that together, we can be a force for positive change for a generation of young people growing up in care or who have experienced being in care," the brand captioned the video. "We want every young person to feel valued and seen and have the same opportunity for a happier Christmas and a happier future."
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