Elton John stars in tear-jerking John Lewis Christmas advert

For some it’s the Santa in the shopping centre, for others it’s mince pies being passed around the office. But, for the British, the surest sign of the start of the festive season is the release of the John Lewis Christmas advert.

The UK department store has become renowned for its tear-jerking Christmas advertisements, which traditionally cost millions of pounds to produce and, thanks to social media, have become a festive staple around the world.

This year, the store has done it again with a heartwarming tribute to Elton John.

The advertisement, which aired in the UK last night, shows the British singer performing his 1970 hit Your Song before rewinding through his decades as a performer.

The two-minute advertisement ends with a young Elton unwrapping a piano for Christmas and playing his first notes in front of his proud parents before the words “some gifts are more than just a gift” appear on the screen.

The singer, who announced he would retire from touring this year, said the advertisement brought back “warm memories” for him and his family.

“It's been a lovely opportunity for me to reflect on my life in music and the incredible journey I have been on, and how first playing my Grandmother's piano marks the moment when music came into my life,” he said.

“The ad is absolutely fantastic and I've truly loved every minute of being a part of it.”

But, the advertisement has received a mixed reaction on social media, with some saying it didn’t live up to previous offerings and appeared to be a thinly veiled advertisement for the singer’s farewell tour.

Yet, it seems the clip had the desired effect on countless others, who blubbed their way through their first viewing of the advertisement.

Spokespeople for the department store declined to reveal how much it cost to produce this year’s advertisement, saying only that the cost was “similar to previous years”.

Last year, the store’s Buster the Boxer advertisement cost the equivalent of about $11 million.

Elton John has donated a portion of his fee to his charitable trust.