Christmas ads are about tugging on the heartstrings, something retailer John Lewis knows all about.

They’ve made a habit out of creating buzz around their year-end commercials, and there’s no doubting the buzz around this year’s effort.

Before we get stuck into why that’s the case, let’s meet Moz and his young pal.

Apparently this ad came with a cool £7 million (R130 million) budget, so no pressure. I’m not that keen on things living underneath my bed, but that’s just me:

The first round of criticism was that the advert wasn’t festive enough, but then things took a turn for the worse.

DigitalSpy with those details:

Chris Riddell, who is also a political cartoonist, shared a video on Twitter where he showed the stark similarities between his monster – Mr Underbed, first published in 1986 – and John Lewis’ Moz. As you’ll see, both creatures have a big red nose, as well as two pointy teeth and fuzzy blue fur.

…the cartoonist showed that his picture book also tells the story of a little boy unable to sleep because of the monster lurking under his bed.

…Riddell said: “The idea of a monster under the bed is by no means new, but the ad does seem to bear a close resemblance to my creation – a big blue unthreatening monster who rocks the bed and snores loudly.

HERE’s that video he shared, in case you’re intrigued.

Remember that bit where the kid can’t sleep because of the snoring, and he grabs a pair of earmuffs? About that…

In response to the criticism, a John Lewis rep said:

The story of a big hairy monster under the bed which keeps a child from sleeping is a universal tale which has been told many times over many years.

Ours is a Christmas story of friendship and fun between Joe and Moz The Monster, in which Joe receives a night light which helps him get a good night’s sleep. The main thrust of our story is utterly different to Chris Riddell’s.