John Lewis 2015 TV Christmas advert: 5 things we already know

One in five shoppers will have done at least some Christmas shopping by the first week of Novembe (Getty)

You’re not imagining it: Christmas advertising is getting earlier. When John Lewis releases its hotly anticipated Christmas advert in the first week of November, it will already be trailing some rivals as the biggest retailers try to get ahead of those organised people who do all their Christmas shopping way ahead of time. They’ve got good reason to fight for a share of the estimated £9.3 billion UK shoppers are expected to spend this year.

1. Its release date

It might seem crazy to talk of a release date for a TV but the John Lewis Christmas advert is such big business that it has its own release date, on Friday November 6 at 8am. Set your alarm!

2. It’s early, but then so are you

Research shows that one in five shoppers will have done at least some Christmas shopping by the first week of November, so John Lewis needs to get in there early.

Penguins from the 'Monty the Penguin' advert are seen in the window display at the John Lewis department store on November 24, 2014. (Getty)

3. It’s not the only one

Asda led the charge this year, showing its festive advert during the X Factor break on October 31, a whole 54 days before Christmas. Even Asda had to admit it was the earliest it had ever shown a Christmas ad.

John Lewis is next, on November 6, followed by Marks and Spencer and Waitrose on November 8.

4. It will probably include a cover

The John Lewis Christmas ad usually features a cover. Last year, Tom Odell covered John Lennon’s ‘Real Love’ for the Monty the Penguin ad, while in 2013, Lily Allen covered Keane’s ‘Somewhere Only We Know’. This year, industry mag Marketing Magazine have tipped Oasis’s ‘Half the World Away’, but John Lewis refused to be drawn, saying nothing had been confirmed.

5. It’ll be expensive, but worth it

Last year, John Lewis spent about £1 million on the Monty the Penguin as part of a £7 million campaign. But that’s probably worth it. Monty the Penguin sold out online not long after last year’s advert had aired. An ebay retailer even put a giant Monty penguin on sale for £499, some way above the £95 asking price.