The Christmas season doesn’t really kick off in the U.K. until the annual John Lewis Christmas commercial is unveiled. Each year, the British department store puts out a heart-warming, tear-jerking ad that is so chock-full of the holiday spirit just one viewing would make the Grinch’s heart grow three sizes in one day. This year’s ad is no different as it tells the story of Sir Elton John‘s being given his very first piano, as a Christmas present, of course.
The story begins in present day with the Elton John we know and love performing on stage. It then works backwards chronologically, taking viewers on a trip to Christmas past ending at the moment where little Elton received a very special present—his grandmother’s piano. It was, of course, a gift that changed the entire course of his life. If that poignant moment wasn’t enough of a reminder of the potential power of a really good gift, the ad ends with the slogan “Some gifts are more than just a gift.”
While the ad is of course still just an ad, which The Telegraph notes is designed to promote the fact that John Lewis is selling pianos for the first time in 70 years, it’s an excellent reminder that gifts can be powerful things.
