3. Monty The Penguin (2014)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iccscUFY860 Given the sheer volume of people that are already calling this year's John Lewis advert the greatest one yet, this may be a controversial placing, but one that is justified when it is judged not immediately, but on merit against its predecessors. Depicting a boy and his pet penguin (Monty) in a number of winter-y situations, the advert is both cheery and funny until it becomes apparent that the penguin is lonely and sombre every time he witnesses love. The emotional factor is then cranked up to eleven when he comes down on Christmas Day to find a female penguin waiting for him, only for it to be revealed that both Monty and his companion (Mabel) are plush toys rather than real animals. Though the advert was treading on 'old ground' by featuring a non-human love story (much like 2012), it hits you hook, line and sinker with its climax, and has rightfully succeeded in winning the hearts and minds of a nation. It has also succeeded in making seemingly every child in the country want a cuddly penguin (that were going for £90 in store and up to £500 on eBay at one point), meaning that company executives are loving it as much as the general public are.