John Lewis Christmas advert 2017: Watch the video of Moz the Monster and his friend Joe here

What is #underthebed has finally been revealed

John Lewis is today launching its 2017 Christmas campaign: Moz The Monster.

The advert is now live on johnlewis.com, social media channels and in its shops across the UK.

The first television showing will be at around 9.30pm tonight on Channel 4, as well as on all Sky’s own channels at approximately the same time.

The advert was directed by Oscar-winning director Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) and is set to feature a cover version of ‘Golden Slumbers’, recorded by British band Elbow.

The two-minute-long film is the longest advert of all the top retailers, and the store have been teasing clips on social media, as well as at bus stops, in tube stations and in shops over the past week.

The advert begins with a shot of a seven-year-old boy called Joe in bed. There’s no music for the first few seconds, but then the soundtrack kicks in.

We follow the story of Joe and his relationship with the imaginary monster under his bed, Moz. Joe’s dad can’t see Moz, but if you look closely at the beginning of the film, you spot a drawing Joe has created of Moz before his imaginary friend comes to life.

(John Lewis (John Lewis)

Joe is kept awake by Moz and initially finds him scary and annoying - he steals his sister’s ear-muffs in the hope of getting to sleep - but Moz and Joe soon become friends.

Instead of sleeping at night, Moz and Joe play with his Scalextric, give each other piggy-backs and laugh.

But this begins to take its toll on Joe, who starts falling asleep during the day - the ad shows him struggling to stay awake in the hairdresser and while playing in a football match.

(John Lewis (John Lewis)

Come Christmas morning, Joe finds a questionably wrapped present under the tree for him - it’s messy and in plain brown paper.

Upon unwrapping the gift, Joe finds a nightlight, finally affording him a good night’s sleep. However, this means Moz disappears.

(John Lewis (John Lewis)

The ad comes to a close on a sad note, with viewers thinking Moz and Joe’s friendship is gone forever. But when Joe turns off his nightlight we hear the familiar rumblings of his friend under the bed, and Joe is reminded that he can bring Moz back any time he thinks of him.

Craig Inglis, John Lewis’s Customer Director commented on the ad saying: “This year’s Christmas campaign brings to life the power of children’s imaginations and the joy of great friendships.

“Moz and Joe’s story is magical and heartwarming and I’m sure it will be loved by all of our customers, young and old.”

Unlike John Lewis’s famously tear-jerking adverts of 2011 to 2015, the tone of Moz The Monster is more in line with last year’s lighter ad, Buster the Boxer.