Retailer John Lewis, master of the musical Christmas commercial, has released another adorable offering for the 2012 festive season.

The ad, which is entitled The Journey, shows a snowman going off on a perilous journey to buy a snow woman a gift from John Lewis. The music track accompanying the ad is Frankie Goes To Hollywood”s The Power of Love, reversioned by Gabrielle Aplin.

The creative, which broke on November 8, is by Adam & Eve/DDB and is about putting in some extra effort to find the perfect gift at Christmas. The strapline is Give a little more love this Christmas.

The ad, shot in New Zealand, was directed by Dougal Wilson, who also shot last year”s John Lewis Christmas ad. While it is sure to create a chart-topping single and get lots of views on YouTube, the decision to shoot in far-off NZ has brought some criticism. Sister company Waitrose has shot an “unglamorous ad” and plans to give the £1m it would have spent on production to charity. Debenhams meanwhile has pointed out that its own ad was shot in the UK.

Why not view the ad on our Facebook page and tell us what you think?