John Lewis unveils emotional teaser for advert as fans brand it a 'hard watch'

John Lewis fans know that the arrival of November signals the imminent release of the retailer's much-anticipated annual Christmas advert. This year, people have been treated to a teaser trailer to whet our appetites.

The retail giant has teamed up with Saatchi and Saatchi for the short clip, which centres around a striking pink jumper - so you might want to have your tissues at the ready as it's quite the tear-jerker.

The heartwarming ad, titled 'Give Knowingly', traces the journey of this standout garment, with actress Samantha Morton providing narration. She informs viewers that the bold colour was not one the recipient would have chosen for herself.

People can hear a voice over saying: "Knowing you're not into pink, but your mum knows it suits you and that this will become the jumper"

While the narratation is happening, a young girl carefully wraps it in white and red striped paper. The scene then shifts to the woman receiving the jumper, trying it on, then removing it and leaving it on a chair during a festive gathering.

But, as her mother predicted, it soon becomes a cherished wardrobe staple, reports the Mirror.

The story continues: "In four years time, you'll be cross with yourself when you-". Samantha is cut off when the woman accidentally drops a blob of jam on the pink jumper.

Elsewhere in the teaser, it shows a woman casually draping the jumper over her sofa as she delves into a book and later packing it away in a box after dyeing her hair pink, stating that "pink on pink is too much pink".

However, the jumper soon finds its way back into her winter wardrobe. Samantha's soothing voiceover tells viewers: 'You'll rediscover it. You'll even be wearing it when you and Jo become a thing, but you don't know any of that yet.

The advert ends with a heartwarming message: "Just know, it's for you and the person who gave it to you".

This is the second teaser released by John Lewis ahead of their highly anticipated full-length Christmas advert, expected to be unveiled in the coming weeks.

While the exact release date remains under wraps, previous years have seen the festive ad debut in the first or second week of November, always on a Thursday.

Last year's advert was revealed on Thursday, November 9, suggesting that this year's full-length feature could potentially be launched as early as next week, Thursday, 7 November.

Today's teaser has been met with mixed emotions from loyal customers, many of whom took to social media to share their reactions.

One person said: "So so sweet! The humble sweater tells a tale indeed."

Another wrote: "This was a hard watch. My mum passed away last Christmas, hold your mums tight and tell them how much you love them."

Someone else commented: "Lovely advert lovely jumper as well. Look forward to this years Christmas advert as always."

In a statement on the retailer's website, they expressed that for over 160 years 'we've helped our customers find that perfect gift' even if 'they don't know it yet'.

Meanwhile, Saatchi and Saatchi posted on their Instagram: "This Christmas, we want you to make every gift meaningful."