John Lewis has been pulling heartstrings nationwide this weekend with the launch of its 2014 Christmas TV ad.
The ad cost £1m to make and is part of John Lewis' overall £7m investment in its Christmas campaign.

Set to the track Real Love, sung by Tom Odell and originally written and recorded by John Lennon, the ad tells the tale of an unlikely friendship between a little boy, Sam, and his penguin friend, Monty.

Monty and Sam do everything together, and they are shown playing happily through the year, from hide and seek to football. However as the winter months draw in, Sam begins to notice that Monty is sad and realises that he is longing for a companion. Knowing his friend so well, on Christmas Day Sam gives Monty the gift he has been dreaming of - a new penguin friend called Mabel.

The ad, created using complex CGI technology that make Monty and Mabel look and behave exactly like real Adélie penguins, features the strapline 'Give someone the Christmas they've been dreaming of'.

The ad launched on the retailer's social media channels on Thursday, November 6, and went on TV for the first time the following day during the first ad break in Gogglebox on Channel 4.

This follows a teaser campaign using #MontyThePenguin, on digital outdoor advertising sites and on Channel 4, where the broadcaster's iconic idents have been transformed to feature Monty.

The message will be amplified beyond the TV campaign through an in-store space called Monty's Den. In partnership with Samsung, Monty's Den uses a series of technology firsts to harness the power of children's imagination.

This includes Monty's Magical Toy Machine, which enables children to bring their favourite toys to life through innovative Microsoft technology and Monty's Goggles, which use Google Cardboard to allow children to enter a 360o virtual world and interact with Sam and Monty.

During the campaign, children will also be able to create their own Monty Christmas card on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S. Merchandise inspired by Monty and Mabel will also be available.