The ad shows the story of Ellie – a young person in care whose new foster father struggles to master skateboarding in order to connect with her.

The 90-second clip, entitled The Beginner, was created with input from John Lewis’ partner charities Action for Children and Who Cares Scotland, as part of its ‘Building Happier Futures’ campaign.

The programme aims to help young people in care, steering them towards employment including offering some apprenticeships in the John Lewis Partnership.

John Lewis has launched a range of Lewis Bear products, from which 25% of sales will be donated to the two charities.

The ad is set to the song All the Small Things by Blink-182, covered by Mike Geier.

John Lewis director of customer Claire Pointon said: “We are fortunate to have a truly unique platform in our Christmas ad, which sparks a national conversation. As a purpose-led brand, making a genuine difference in our communities is important.

“At John Lewis, we care deeply about families and recognise that they come in many different forms. For our biggest moment of the year, we decided to focus on one kind of family that is often overlooked.

“We are also very aware that not all care experience outcomes are as positive as Ellie’s. The home Ellie enters is filled with kindness and the foster father’s actions demonstrate that, ultimately, it’s what you do that matters most.”

John Lewis executive director Pippa Wicks added: “Turbulent times worsen social inequalities and Christmas is a time when this can be most keenly felt. It’s more important than ever for our business to stand up and use our voice to make a difference where we can.

“Our Christmas campaign is an important step in our long-term plans to become the employer of choice for young people leaving the care system, and to provide lasting change and hope for children like Ellie.”

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