While the nation eagerly awaits the annual John Lewis Christmas advert, one man has been quietly creating his own heart-wrenching alternatives that are now capturing millions of hearts online.
Sam Clegg, a 27-year-old marketing specialist, first launched his series of alternate Christmas ads during the pandemic, driven by his own experiences with isolation. His low-budget productions, accompanied by original festive songs with proceeds going to charities tackling seasonal loneliness, have become a viral sensation, amassing up to two million views on YouTube.
The Story Behind the Viral Alternative
This year's offering, promoting the charity single Angel on a Tree, tells the poignant story of a sweet couple as the wife mourns the loss of her husband. The video has already attracted 490,000 views and sparked an outpouring of emotional reactions from viewers.
Clegg told Metro that his inspiration came from the 2012 John Lewis Snowman advert. "I just really wanted to try and emulate something like that myself, but maybe have an alternative perspective on things," he explained. "Mine tend to touch on elements [around] death and loss, which don't always get touched upon in the real John Lewis Christmas advert."
Connecting Through Shared Themes
Interestingly, Clegg acknowledges that this year's official John Lewis advert, which explores the bittersweet bond between a father and son over the years, comes closer to his preferred themes. "This year's John Lewis ad, for me, is probably the best they've done in at least five years," he shared. "I think it focuses on that element I try and capture in some of mine – that transition of time and how life moves so fast."
He particularly praised how the advert handles what he considers "one of the most poignant points that can be covered in a charity or Christmas advert."
Tackling the Reality of Seasonal Loneliness
The success of Clegg's charity single has been remarkable, with the song reaching number five on the iTunes top 40 chart, sharing space with major artists like Taylor Swift, Raye and Katy Perry.
His motivation stems from personal experience and concern for others. "I always pictured myself being older and facing loneliness and just thinking how much more difficult it would be," Clegg revealed. "As a younger person – in lockdown I was only 21 – and it hit me really hard. For the elderly population, it must be even worse, and that was an element I really wanted to get into my charity Christmas projects."
The statistics underscore the importance of his mission. According to Age UK data cited on the NHS website, more than two million people in England over the age of 75 live alone, with over a million older people reporting they go more than a month without speaking to a friend, neighbour or family member.
The Magic of Minimal Budgets
What makes Clegg's achievement even more extraordinary is the shoestring budget. His entire production cost just £400, achieved by hiring actors through Facebook groups, spending minimally on props and location, with Clegg handling everything from pre to post-production himself.
Despite the constraints, he dreams bigger. If given a larger budget, he'd aspire to create something like John Lewis's 2019 Edgar the Dragon advert with its vibrant supporting cast. "Even having a big budget, I would still focus on that core human element but have a supporting cast, maybe have a crew to help out, a team to advise," he reflected. "But I would definitely stay true to the charity theme, but just embellish it with more Christmas magic."
As for the intense public reaction to Christmas adverts in general, Clegg remains philosophical. "That's a weird thing to me, how emotionally invested everyone seems to be in [the] Christmas adverts – not only John Lewis," he said, suggesting that since Covid, "emotions have been heightened a little bit, and people are just overemotional."
Nevertheless, he remains "eternally grateful" for the overwhelmingly positive response to his work, describing it as something that "blows me away every year" and finding it "heartwarming" to see people rally behind the charity single.
