John Lewis Christmas ad 2021 soundtracked by Philip Oakey and Giorgio Moroder

A cover version of Philip Oakey and Giorgio Moroder’s ‘Together In Electric Dreams’ soundtracks this year’s John Lewis Christmas ad.

The beginning of the festive season has been heralded by the launch of the department store’s annual Christmas ad, which has become a staple of the season.

The concept of the advert was kept under lock and key until Thursday morning (November 4) when it was released on social media. This year’s song is an ambient cover of the 1984 hit ‘Together In Electric Dreams’ by Human League frontman Philip Oakey along with Giorgio Moroder.

The cover, sung by Lola Young, plays over a young boy, Nathan, coming across an alien called Skye in the forest and developing a friendship with her.

He gives Skye her first ever Christmas by wrapping lights around the forest trees, having snowball fights and smuggling mince pies out of his house to give to her. 

Skye soon has to return home, and Nathan gives her his Christmas jumper to take back with her on her ship.

The space traveller kisses Nathan on the cheek before departing, leaving a twinkling star in the sky.

The ad ends on the tagline: “For a Christmas as magical as your first.”

A statement from John Lewis said: “We take viewers on a magical Christmas journey, all through the eyes of the lead characters, a young boy called Nathan and the space traveller, Skye.

“Nathan discovers and befriends Skye, who has landed in the woods beside his home. Their friendship develops as Nathan introduces Skye to many of his family’s festive traditions and brings them to life for her in the woods.

“They decorate the tree with fairy lights, celebrate the tradition of eating and hosting together, as he encourages her to try her first mince pie, and he also introduces her to the joy of thoughtful gifting by giving her his Christmas jumper.

“Through these shared moments, we see the magic of Christmas through the eyes of someone who has never experienced it before.”

Lola Young, a 20-year-old singer-songwriter from London, was chosen to perform the cover this year following the release of her first EPs ‘Intro’ and ‘Renaissance’. 

Previous John Lewis ads have featured cover versions from Lily Allen, Ellie Goulding, Slow Moving Millie, Gabrielle Aplin, Aurora, Tom Odell, Vaults, Elbow and Bastille, while last year’s commercial featured an original song for the first time, performed by Celeste.

‘Together In Electric Dreams’ was a huge hit when it was released for the ‘Electric Dreams’ film soundtrack in 1984, reaching number three in the UK charts.

It has been featured in several ads over the years, notably re-entering the charts in 2012 when it was used in an advert for EDF Energy.