The John Lewis Christmas advert has inexplicably become a staple of the build-up to Christmas Day in the UK, but this year's edition is chiming with a certain fanbase for a very different reason. The typically emotional ad - titled The Beginner - features a foster parent attempting (and mostly failing) to learn how to skateboard, with the big pay-off revealed to be the appearance of a young girl, skateboard in hand, who is seemingly coming to live with the determined dad and his partner for Christmas.
It's a classic, shameless heartstring-puller from John Lewis - albeit in the name of a good cause, as the end of the advert reveals that the company have teamed up with some children's charities to raise funds and awareness for young people in care. The icing on this particular Christmas cake, though? The use of a slowed-down, emotionally stirring cover of Blink-182's classic anthem, All The Small Things. Who says pop punk can't be meaningful?
The cover was recorded by American musician/entertainer Michael Geier, better known to anyone who's ventured online in the past decade as sad clown Puddles Pity Party. The PPP video for the song, recorded in 2017 for the Postmodern Jukebox YouTube channel, has racked up 12 million views.
Watch the John Lewis advert below.
Surprisingly, this isn't the first time that All The Small Things has featured in a TV advertising campaign this year, as a piano version of the track was used in the 'Piano' ad for Mr Kipling's presumably still exceedingly good cakes six months ago.
Blink-182 recently announced the return of Tom Delonge to the band, alongside a brand new single, Edging, and a world tour taking place next year.
Blink-182 world tour dates 2023
LATIN AMERICA
Mar 11: Tijuana Imperial GNP (Festival), MEX
Mar 14: Lima Estadio San Marcos, PER
Mar 17-19: Buenos Aires, Lollapalooza Argentina, ARG
Mar 17-19: Santiago, Lollapalooza Chile, CHI
Mar 21-22: Asuncion Venue TBA, PAR
Mar 23-26: Bogotá Estereo Picnic, COL
Mar 24-26: São Paulo, Lollapalooza Brasil, BRA
Mar 28: Mexico City Palacio de los Deportes, MEX
Apr 1-2 – Monterrey Venue TBA, MEX
NORTH AMERICA
May 04: St. Paul Xcel Energy Center, MN
May 06: Chicago United Center, IL
May 09: Detroit Little Caesars Arena, MI
May 11: Toronto Scotiabank Arena, ON
May 12: Montreal Bell Centre, QC
May 16: Cleveland Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, OH
May 17: Pittsburgh PPG Paints Arena, PA
May 19: New York Madison Square Garden, NY
May 20: Belmont Park UBS Arena, NY
May 21: Boston TD Garden, MA
May 23: Washington, DC Capital One Arena
May 24: Brooklyn Barclays Center, NY
May 26: Baltimore Baltimore Arena, MD
May 27: Hershey Hersheypark Stadium, PA
May 28: Atlantic City Adjacent Music Festival, NJ
Jun 14:Phoenix Footprint Center, AZ
Jun 16: Los Angeles Bank of California Stadium, CA
Jun 20: San Diego Pechanga Arena, CA
Jun 22: San Jose SAP Center, CA
Jun 23: Sacramento Golden 1 Center, CA
Jun 25: Seattle Climate Pledge Arena, WA
Jun 27: Vancouver Rogers Arena, BC
Jun 29: Edmonton Rogers Place, AB
Jun 30: Calgary Scotiabank Saddledome, AB
Jul 03: Denver Ball Arena, CO
Jul 05: Dallas American Airlines Center, TX
Jul 07: Austin Moody Center, TX
Jul 08: Houston Toyota Center, TX
Jul 10: Tampa Amalie Arena, FL
Jul 11: Ft. Lauderdale FLA Live Arena, FL
Jul 13: Atlanta State Farm Arena, GA
Jul 14: Charlotte Spectrum Center, NC
Jul 16: Nashville Bridgestone Arena, TN
EUROPE
Sep 02: Glasgow OVO Hydro, UK
Sep 04: Belfast SSE Arena, UK
Sep 05: Dublin 3Arena, IRE
Sep 08: Antwerp Sportpaleis, BEL
Sep 09: Cologne Lanxess Arena, GER}
Sep 12: Copenhagen Royal Arena, DEN
Sep 13: Stockholm Avicii Arena, SWE
Sep 14: Oslo Spektrum, NOR
Sep 16: Berlin Mercedes-Benz Arena, GER
Sep 17: Hamburg Barclays Arena, GER
Sep 19: Prague O2 Arena, CZE
Sep 20: Vienna Stadthalle, AUS
Oct 02: Lisbon, Portugal – Altice Arena, POR
Oct 03: Madrid Wizink Centre, SPA
Oct 04: Barcelona Palau Sant Jordi, SPA
Oct 06: Bologna Unipol Arena, ITA
Oct 08: Amsterdam, iggo Dome, HOL
Oct 09: Paris Accor Arena, FRA
Oct 11: London The O2, UK
Oct 14: Birmingham Utilita Arena, UK
Oct 15: Manchester AO Arena, UK
Oct 21: Las Vegas, When We Were Young Festival, NV
AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND
Feb 09: Perth RAC Arena, AUS
Feb 11: Adelaide Entertainment Centre, AUS
Feb 13: Melbourne Rod Laver Arena, AUS
Feb 16: Sydney Qudos Bank Arena, AUS
Feb 19: Brisbane Entertainment Centre, AUS
Feb 23: Auckland Spark Arena, NZ
Feb 26: Christchurch Christchurch Arena, NZ
