When Dad-Dance becomes Connection – A Reflection on the 2025 John Lewis Christmas Advert
By Luke Newman, Founder of For Men To Talk
The new 2025 Christmas advert from John Lewis opens simply: a father clearing up wrapping paper, a kind of mundane moment many of us recognise. Then he discovers a gift from his teenage son—a vinyl record. The song? The 90s club classic “Where Love Lives”. And through that gift the story unfolds. The advert shows the dad transported, in his mind, back to a club scene, into flashbacks of toddler steps and baby cuddles, all ending with a hug between dad and son.
From a father’s-perspective and through the lens of men’s mental health, this advert does more than tug a few heartstrings. It points to what many fathers feel but seldom say.
Recognising the silent spot in father-son relationships
Fathers often fall into a role of provider, fixer, go-to person. We don’t always find the words to express our feelings. The son gives a gift because maybe he can’t say “thanks”, “I love you”, or “I notice you”. The scene shows the dad receiving it, a small gesture that triggers something deeper. For a man who may have suppressed emotion or avoided vulnerability, this is potent. It acknowledges: words may fail us—but connection still happens.
Nostalgia, identity and reconnecting with self
The club scene. The music. The flashback to earlier fatherhood. For many dads, we carry parts of our younger selves: the music we danced to, the freedom we felt, the hopes before responsibility landed. The advert makes that visible. And it then interweaves that with fatherhood—baby in arms, toddler steps, teenager with headphones. That contrast asks: who am I now, who was I, and how do I bridge that gap? From a men’s mental health angle, this is meaningful. It shows that identity shifts, but parts don’t vanish—they just change context.
Embracing presence, not perfection
We fathers often believe we need to be perfect, to have all the solutions, to never admit we’re unsure. In this advert the father is listening to vinyl, lost in a memory, perhaps a little self-aware, and the son watches him. They don’t speak much. They share a hug. That alone tells: presence, acknowledgment, a hug, a shared moment—all count. It invites men to lean into simplicity: you don’t need grand speeches. A moment of recognition is enough.
Invitation to open up & reach out
For men feeling isolated, or far from their children, this advert whispers: connection exists, even when words don’t. And for sons and daughters watching, perhaps it invites you to give the unexpected gift—not just a thing but connection. For fathers, the message could be: don’t wait until you’re “ready to talk” to speak, talk in your own way. And if you’re carrying the weight of feeling unseen or disconnected: you are seen.
Final thought
The 2025 John Lewis advert might look like a commercial about a vinyl record and a gift. But for dads and men navigating identity, connection, and mental health it resonates deeper. It says: you matter, you’ve been part of a story, you still are part of a story—and even when you hesitate to talk, you can be present. You can receive. You can hold that hug. That counts.
Let’s take that into our homes, into our relationships. Let’s give the hug, the moment, the simple “I see you”. Because sometimes that gift is the one we’ve been looking for.