John Lewis urged to hire man behind this heartbreaking £50 Christmas ad

23 November 2018, 09:32 | Updated: 23 November 2018, 09:35

A tear-jerking £50 advert named 'Love Is A Gift' has gone viral as fans call for the filmmaker to be hired by John Lewis for his efforts.

An emotional festive advert has racked up millions of views overnight as fans call for John Lewis to hire the man behind the magic.

32-year-old videographer Phil Beastall uploaded his work to social media in response to this year's high-budget Christmas ad, which features Elton John and cost a huge £7 million to make.

His £50 ad tells a sad tale of a man opening up a cassette box on Christmas Day to listen to his late mother's final message before she passed away, which has seemingly become a tradition for him.

Love Is A Gift was made for just £50
Love Is A Gift was made for just £50. Picture: YouTube / Phil Beastall - Videographer, DOP, Camera Operator

The emotional message has hit millions of fans, who are now calling for the talented film-maker to be hired by John Lewis for 2019.

Others even argue that his advert should be used by the retail giant instead of the costly Elton John ad.

READ MORE: Waitrose poke fun at John Lewis with their Christmas ad

In response to the support he's received, Phil said: "People seem to like my film because it’s the story that shines through. "You don’t always need a huge budget, just an impactful narrative that gets the message across.

"I think there’s a bit of a revolution going on in the advertising industry.

"People no longer want to be overtly sold something which makes our job as video producers a lot harder because we have to sell indirectly.

“A lot of people are struggling financially so to hear that millions is being spent on these campaigns isn’t sitting well with people."

Fans are calling for John Lewis to hire the videographer
Fans are calling for John Lewis to hire the videographer. Picture: YouTube / Phil Beastall - Videographer, DOP, Camera Operator

Speaking directly about the Elton John ad, Phil added: "People have been saying that it’s just an opportunity to celebrate Elton John and promote his new film.

“Having said that, I enjoyed the John Lewis advert.

"I liked the fact that a success story like Elton’s can start with something as simple as receiving a piano.

“But if John Lewis knocked on my door tomorrow and said would you want to make next year’s film I would obviously snap it up in an instant."