The star of this year’s John Lewis Christmas advert can today be revealed as a mischievous and flatulent monster called Moz who lives under his seven-year-old soulmate’s bed.
The giant furry monster with a bulbous nose, wonky teeth and a love of snoring, jumps out every night to play with companion Joe in a festive tale likely to make viewers laugh and cry.
The little boy, aged 7, who is played by young twin brothers from London named Ethan and Tobias, is initially frightened after seeing a pair of enormous eyes peering from the dark under his bed.
But the two unlikely friends are shown sharing games, playing piggyback and Scalextric in his bedroom – all without mum, dad, or older sister finding out – before they have a tear-jerking farewell.
John Lewis’ advert, set to be shown online from 8am today and on TV tonight, is directed by Oscar winner Michel Gondry and set to an Elbow cover of The Beatles’ Abbey Road classic Golden Slumbers.
Its £7million marketing blitz also includes a £20 Moz cuddly monster, clothes, mugs, children’s book and even a tie-up with Sky and Google they hope will be as successful as their Monty the Penguin’ campaign from 2014, which made £2.5million in soft toy sales alone.
This is the new star of this year’s John Lewis Christmas advert – a monster named Moz who lives under a seven-year-old’s bed
Little boy Joe becomes best friends with Moz and they play together through the night in his bedroom without his family finding out
The two soulmates go on a magical journey together in the department store’s new £7million Christmas campaign
Despite Joe’s initial worries about having a monster under his bed he and Moz become the very best of friends, and despite his size the seven-year-old is able to give him a piggyback
It begins Joe initially terrified after hearing snoring under his bed. He then cautiously peers under and sees a pair of enormous eyes peering out at him from the dark.
However, the sleeping creature is no threat, but actually turns out to be a fantastic, fun playmate and friend.
Joe becomes so wrapped up in the fun and games that he loses sleep, which means he dozes off when playing football and getting his hair cut at the barbers.
After nights of riotous fun together Moz realises that it is time for him to go and let little Joe grow up.
In a moment that will see fans grabbing the tissues the monster is shown under the bed waving forlornly with tears in his eyes.
And one final show of love for the little boy Moz leaves a crudely wrapped parcel under the tree with a gift for the young boy.
The fabulous starlight nightlight creates magical patterns across the Joe’s bedroom to help him sleep and Moz seems to have disappeared for ever.
However, with a click that turns the nightlight off, Joe hears Moz under the bed and so can relax knowing his friend is always nearby if he needs him.
The ad is screening on johnlewis.com, the retailer’s YouTube channel and in stores from 8am today, and will later appear on terrestrial television from around 9.30pm on Channel 4 and on all Sky’s own channels.
The advert begins with Joe cowering under his covers as he hears snoring coming from under his bed
Young Joe is so disturbed by Moz’s farting and snoring he is forced to put his hands over his ears and use earmuffs
After plucking up some courage he looked under his bed to find Moz staring back at him from under the bed
Joe and Moz under the bed, which is being tilted in the air by the sheer size of the monster
Moz is shown tentatively getting out from under the bed so he can introduce himself to his roommate
Moz stands up to his full height and stands as tall as the ceiling as he towers over Joe, who is played by twins in the advert
The two friends shake hands and say hello as their adventures together are about to begin
A sign on his bedroom door makes his feelings on monsters abundantly clear
The success of Christmas commercials created by the department store of the past puts enormous pressure on the retailer and its ad agency Adam & Eve/DDB.
Last year, it gave us Buster the trampoline loving boxer dog and before that was the old man marooned on the moon at Christmas.
Arguably, the most popular of recent years involved a young boy’s quest to find a girlfriend for Monty the Penguin to a version of John Lennon’s Real Love, performed by Tom Odell.
John Lewis’s Customer Director, Craig Inglis, said: ‘This year’s Christmas campaign brings to life the power of children’s imaginations and the joy of great friendships.
‘Moz and Joe’s story is magical and heart-warming and I’m sure it will be loved customers, young and old.’
The ad agency’s chief creative officer, Richard Brim, described the commercial as a ‘basic story of friendship’.
He said: ‘This will definitely feel like a John Lewis ad. It is going to have the DNA that everybody has come to know. But, we have to keep on inventing and finding new ways to maintain that.’
The director, Michel Gondry, won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay as one of the writers of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. His career started as a director of music videos for the likes of The White Stripes, The Chemical Brothers, Radiohead, Beck and Daft Punk,
He described the fun and joy bought to the commercial by the young identical twins who play Joe as ‘magical’.
The director said: ‘When I told my ex-girlfriend I was doing the next John Lewis Christmas film she said: ‘You have big shoes to fill, this John Lewis commercial must make people cry, don’t forget’. Last week I showed it to her and she cried. Phew.’
John Lewis hope that the cuddly giant monster will be as popular as other characters they have created over the years
The two friends spend their nights playing in the bedroom including on Joe’s Scalextric car game
The pair become the best of buddies, mucking around and pulling faces at each other to spark laughter
At one point the friends make too much noise and Moz jumps under the bed and Joe dives under his duvet when the boy’s father looks in on his son
The little boy is left so exhausted by the fun and games that Moz is shown putting him to bed after one night playing into the early hours
But the late nights playing with Moz take their toll and Joe is shown dropping off during the day including when he was in goal in a school football match
He is also unable to finish his homework, much to the frustration and worry of his sister Olivia
He director decided that the giant furry puppet, which is operated by two people in costume, would be a better option that typical CGI film trickery.
Natasha Jiggins, of Millennium FX, who helped to create and build Moz, said: ‘We wanted a moveable, fluid, interesting creature.’
It is the first TV performance by the boys, Ethan and Tobias, who have previously had a little theatre experience.
As is typical with John Lewis, the company chooses not to give the full names of the ‘stars’ of its commercials, preferring to make the story and themes the focus of the campaign.
Elbow were chosen over several other artists to perform the song. It represents a coup for the band, who famously performed their hit, ‘One Day like This’, at the closing ceremony of the London Olympics in 2012.
The track is a certainty for number one and will also appear on a ‘Best of’ album due to be released by the band later this month.
Lead singer, Guy Garvey, said: ‘This project was such a pleasure. Michel Gondry and The Beatles did all the work for us. We are really proud to be involved.’
In the emotional finale of the advert Moz realises that their friendship may be having a negative effect on the tired little boy
In the poignant final moments Moz waves to his friend with tears in his eyes as he prepares to say farewell
As a parting gift the cuddly monster leaves his own crudely wrapped present under the tree for Joe among the stacks of gifts
Joe looks to his mother to check it is for him and she encourages him to open it to see what is inside
Joe unwraps a night light and it begins to dawn on him that Moz had got it for him to help him sleep better
The fabulous starlight nightlight creates magical patterns across the Joe’s bedroom to help him relax at night time
Joe looks under the bed as he checks whether his best friend is there as usual but finds he is gone
But the space under his bed usually filled by Moz is empty and filled instead with stars from his gift
However, with a click that turns the nightlight off, Joe hears Moz under the bed and so can relax knowing his friend is always nearby if he needs him
A recording of actress Sally Phillips reading the Moz The Monster story will be available for download from johnlewis.com.
The store declined to put a price on the ad, saying only that its budget was similar to previous years, when it spent around £1 million on putting each campaign together and another £6 million on television slots.
The ad has again been the subject of intense speculation about its content, with the store stoking the excitement by releasing short previews on social media under the hashtag #UnderTheBed.
An American computer science teacher called John Lewis, who endures year after year of Twitter feedback on the retailer’s campaigns despite clarifying that he is ‘not a retail store’, has already posted: ‘Trust me, no one wants to know what’s under my bed. #UnderTheBed’.
Here comes the merchandise! John Lewis hopes to cash in on its £7million blockbuster advert with sales of Teddies, slippers, PJs, mugs and book
John Lewis’ blockbuster advert is just part of its massive Christmas campaign with the retailer releasing an array of merchandise including a £20 cuddly monster.
There is also a Moz the Monster children’s book for £8.99, a mug for £5, pyjamas for around £20 and slippers for £14 to £16.
At the John Lewis flagship shop on Oxford Street visitors will be able to see and hear what’s thought to be the world’s first farting and snoring window as Moz plays in the rooms in Joe’s house.
On the John Lewis Facebook page people will be able to have fun ‘mozifying’ their face using their Facebook camera, and in 10 shops customers will be able to create their own monster selfie at a Monster Maker station.
A recording of actress Sally Phillips reading the Moz The Monster story will be available for download from johnlewis.com, Sky boxes and Google Home. And Google Home customers will also be able to personalise their story choosing their own sounds effects.
This Christmas John Lewis has chosen Barnardo’s as its charity partner and will make a donation to the charity from the sale of Moz cuddly toys and mugs.
It is hoped the cuddly toy could be as popular as the Monty the penguin soft toy that sold 48,000 alone after its release in 2014 with sellers asking up to £500 for one on eBay
After the adverts come out the retailer can see footfall rise and sales can rocket to more than £179million in the following week.
In 2014 its web traffic went up an extra 14million unique visits and 260,000 alone clicked on the advert taking them through to their online store.
Moz fans can get their own cuddly toy for their bedroom for £20 each. Staff in Canary Wharf made a blunder this week after putting the toys out before the advert launched
A Moz the monster book is available for £8.99 and a recording of actress Sally Phillips reading it will be available for download from johnlewis.com
Fans of the monster and traditional Christmas presents can pick up these Moz slippers for between £14 and £16 depending on sizes
The retailer is also launching a sleepwear range available in blue and red and priced at between £18 and £20 depending on sizes
The Moz the Monster is available for £5 with profits from this and the cuddly toy going to Barnados
Remember these? Bouncing Buster, the Man on the Moon, Montie the penguin and a lovestruck snowman – EVERY John Lewis ad from the past ten years
2016
Last year’s star was Buster the Boxer and his trampoline antics.
John Lewis said the advert where the dog, played by five-year-old Biff, beats a young girl to her new toy is their attempt to cheer up Britain after a ‘tough year’.
The advert told the story of a little girl called Bridget who loves to jump.
Set to a cover version of ‘One Day I’ll Fly Away’, her mother and father buy her a trampoline, toiling while she sleeps to build it before hiding it in the garden to surprise her with on Christmas Day. As the snow falls an array of animals start using it as the Boxer watches forlornly through the window.
The next morning Bridget sprints out to use it for the first time but her joy turns to shock as cheeky Buster has the last laugh and uses her new toy before her.
2015
A lonely Man on the Moon is shown to viewers sitting by himself on a bench, completely unaware that he is being observed by the youngster back down on Earth
The elderly man, played by a 77-year-old French actor called Jean, gazes up wistfully towards the Earth, as the Oasis song Half The World Away, performed by 19-year-old Norwegian singer Aurora plays mournfully in the background.
She tries desperately to send him a message but all her efforts fail, while he remains unaware that anyone cares about him and sits alone on a bench, wistfully staring up at the Earth.
Eventually, on Christmas morning, a present arrives from the sky, carried by party balloons, and the old man unwraps it to reveal a vintage telescope.
He uses it to spot Lily and, realising that someone cares about him, his eyes fill with tears.
2014
John Lewis hoped the bond between a boy and a penguin would capture the public’s imagination.
The two-minute festive commercial told the story of seven-year-old Sam, played by actor Rhys Edwards from Hertfordshire, and his friend Monty.
The boy gradually realises Monty is longing for a penguin companion. And so on Christmas morning Sam surprises Monty with the gift of a new penguin friend named Mabel.
The soundtrack was John Lennon’s song Real Love, performed by Tom Odell.
2013
The £7million Disney-inspired advert told the story of a selfless hare who is determined to make sure his best friend, a bear, doesn’t miss Christmas for once.
The commercial features the tale of two good friends, a bear and a hare, who are sad at the thought of being separated for Christmas.
The tale opens as winter is starting to draw in and the fun and excitement of preparing for Christmas begins.
As the first snowflake falls and lands on the bear’s nose, the hare starts to feel sad because he realises his friend will soon go off to hibernate, so – as usual – missing Christmas.
While the bear is keen to join in, eventually he finds he cannot hold off his winter sleep any longer and disappears into his cave.
Viewers see the bear fast asleep while all the other woodland creatures become excited about the big day to come.
However, the hare is missing his friend and finds it increasingly difficult to join in the preparations until the moment he has a great idea for a very special present.
He disappears off in to the wilderness to return with the gift – an alarm clock – which wakes the bear just in time to gather around a beautifully decorated tree to celebrate with all his friends.
2012
The Christmas ad, called The Journey, shows the extraordinary lengths to which some will go in their search for a gift for someone they love.
The 90-second commercial opens in a family’s snow-covered garden, with children happily making a snowman and snowwoman.
When the snowman mysteriously disappears the next morning, the viewer is transported to a magical world, following him on an epic journey across river, mountain, road and city.
The motive for the snowman’s secret journey isn’t revealed until the last scene, when he returns on Christmas morning with gifts for his wife.
Newcomer Gabrielle Aplin sings The Power Of Love, the 1984 hit from Frankie Goes To Hollywood, as the soundtrack.
2011
In 2011, the John Lewis advert showed a young boy so desperately excited about Christmas that he couldn’t wait to give presents to his parents.
It was accompanied by a cover of The Smiths’ Please Please Let Me Get What I Want’.
2010
And the 2010 offering saw individuals choosing and wrapping their presents in the lead up to the big day, as Ellie Goulding sings a cover of Elton John’s Your Song.
Various people furtively hide the presents they’ve carefully chosen: parents sneak a rocking horse upstairs while their children’s backs are turned; a mechanic struggles to wrap a spotted teapot; and a small boy braves the snow in his dressing gown to hang a stocking outside his dog’s kennel.
2009
This was the first of the store’s Christmas campaigns created by advertising agency Adam & Eve, now adam&eveDDB, and the first to feature a musical cover by a current artist, on this occasion a Taken By Trees version of Sweet Child O’ Mine by Guns N’ Roses.
The ad shows children opening gifts for adults including a laptop, coffee machine and handbag, followed by the tagline: ‘Remember how Christmas used to feel? Give someone that feeling.’
2008
Culminating in the tagline: ‘If you know the person, you’ll find the present,’ it shows a succession of characters followed by a matching gift.
The soundtrack is a cover of The Beatles’ From Me To You recorded for the campaign, with vocals by Matt Spinner, a member of the John Lewis IT department and its music society.
2007
The ad shows a group of people stacking a pile of potential gifts including a desktop lamp, a computer and a leather satchel in an empty room. The finished product ends up creating a shadow that looks like a woman walking her dog through the snow, accompanied by the tagline: ‘Whoever you’re looking for this Christmas.’