Elton John's inspiring John Lewis Christmas ad will bring a tear to your eye

Love it or loathe it, the launch of the John Lewis Christmas ad has undoubtedly become an event, and the company has pulled out the biggest of musical guns for its 2018 Xmas campaign.

It opens with a wistful Elton John sitting at what purports to be his first piano, before he starts playing the opening bars to Your Song. We then see a series of flashbacks from throughout his career, showcasing various performances of the track and its initial studio recording.

Of course, this wouldn’t be a John Lewis ad without a couple of tugs at your heartstrings, and these come in the form of a young Reg Dwight honing his talent playing in a pub and - sniff - in front of his proud mother and grandmother at a school concert.

Then comes the real kicker: the Christmas Day when toddler Reg rips the paper off the same piano that we see present-day Elton playing at the start (and then end) of the ad.

It’s all very tastefully done and, who knows, might even encourage a few parents to buy musical instruments for their kids this Christmas. That said, John Lewis doesn’t actually sell pianos; check out our guide to the best pianos for beginners and pros and you’ll find a few places that do.