When you are tired of Christmas advertising, you are tired of life.

OK, granted, perhaps life as a whole might be a touch too dramatic. But we love a bit of drama in advertising, especially when it comes to festive adverts. Christmas adverts must be given the Marmite test; where the question automatically becomes do you love it or hate it? Those are the rules.

But surely if you didn’t feel a frisson of excitement when the John Lewis ad dropped, it’s a sign that you might have become a bit too cynical about arguably the best part of the advertising business: Christmas advertising.

The country’s festive advertising bonanza is the UK creative industry’s equivalent of the Super Bowl. A time when, across the industry, elbows come out to declare which ad is the ‘best’. A decision which must equally include some derisory comments on which one is worse. Deciding which Advertising Turkey to stuff is a festive tradition which has long had a stranglehold on the industry. Especially if that decision is based on gut instinct alone.

So it’s a credit to Saatchi & Saatchi that its first work for John Lewis shows none of the nervousness that you might assume would come with making the most talked about advert of the year. The John Lewis festive ad has traditionally had the nation crying into its teacups, and stockpiling cuddly toys. It’s difficult not to get sentimental when your house is full of Buster the Boxer, Moz the Monster and Monty the Penguin.

Yet it’s to Saatchi & Saatchi’s credit that there is none of that sentimentality or trepidation in its unashamedly weird festive spot for John Lewis. Instead, we meet arguably the most unexpected of John Lewis festive advertising heroes: the Venus flytrap Snapper.

The story follows a child who buys a fast-growing Christmas tree kit. As the tree grows, however, it becomes clear that it isn’t your traditional Christmas tree, but instead a Venus flytrap. One that is soon confined to the garden and replaced with a picture-perfect tree.

Thankfully, the family comes to their senses on Christmas Day. They follow the little boy outside to place their presents under the unusual Venus fly trap tree. Snapper helpfully gobbles them up, spitting out the contents to the family and turning the wrapper paper into confetti. Doing things differently can work it seems.

Franki Goodwin, chief creative officer at Saatchi & Saatchi, says, “Taking on the John Lewis Christmas ad – no pressure, right? It’s been quite the six months. But honestly, having built a fully integrated campaign, and worked with the icons that are Megaforce and Bocelli to make a film that retains what is quintessential about a John Lewis Christmas ad, but evolves it into something perhaps a bit unexpected, wilder and funnier”.

She continues: “I  really do appreciate that pressure is a privilege – and making this has been a huge one”.

It’s an insight into the creative process that is as sharp as the customer insights behind this brilliant campaign. When all eyes are on you, creating a culture where you can experiment and do something different deserves praise in itself. Particularly within a broader industry ecosystem, in which criticising ads which may have missed the mark is something of a sport.

The real joy in the John Lewis festive ad comes not from declaring which ad ‘won’ Christmas (spoiler alert: it’s possible to like more than one Christmas advert. Liking one advert doesn’t automatically equate to hating another). The Marmite-approach to festive advertising analysis has long-passed its sell-by date.

Recognising and reflecting what a tremendous job the festive ad season does in highlighting the value of advertising, both culturally and commercially, is a business imperative. Regardless of whether or not you love this ad, for the industry at large John Lewis is once again the star on top of that Advertising tree.

So, perhaps rather than being cynical and combative in how we assess Christmas advertising, we should embrace more care and compassion towards the people behind the work. As copywriting and Christmas advertising champion Vikki Ross declared so aptly: “Thank You for the Christmas ads. I loved them all”.