John Lewis has released its eagerly-awaited 2014 Christmas campaign featuring a penguin named Monty.

The advert – created by advertising agency Adam&Eve/DDB – tells a story of unlikely friendship between a boy named Sam and his penguin friend Monty, set to the track ‘Real Love’ sung by Tom Odell and originally written and recorded by John Lennon.

The advert follows the characters playing happily throughout the year until Monty becomes sad and realises that he wants a companion. On Christmas Day, Sam gives Monty a female penguin called Mabel.

Featuring the strapline ‘Give someone the Christmas they’ve been dreaming of’, the campaign launches on the retailer’s social media channels today (Thursday November 6) and will feature on TV for the first time on Friday.

Craig Inglis, marketing director at John Lewis, said: “At John Lewis, this time of year is all about helping our customers create their dream Christmas. We hope this uplifting tale of Sam’s love for his friend Monty will remind people of the magic of Christmas through a child’s eyes and inspire them to think how they can make the festive season extra special for their friends and loved ones.”

The campaign will go beyond a TV campaign to feature an interactive in-store space for children called ‘Monty’s Den’ in partnership with Samsung.

Inglis said: “We hope our customers will love Monty and Mabel and they will have more chances than ever to interact with them through some genuinely exciting technology firsts.”