Ah, here! Waitrose’s Christmas ad will really tug at your heartstrings

OK, so maybe John Lewis didn’t set the waterworks off, but their record appears to have set a precedent; now, every retailer is trying to break the internet with a Christmas ad, and it’s really taking its toll on our emotions.

Just days after Lidl reduced us to a pile of mush, posh British supermarket chain Waitrose is getting in on the action – and they have really tugged at our heartstrings.

The Waitrose ad tells the story of a gorgeous little robin trying to make his way home to his ‘family’ in time for Christmas.

A little girl sets out a fresh mince pie, her face creased with worry as she observes the treacherous weather outside and wonders if little Robin is safe.

Elsewhere, Robin is setting off on a journey of epic proportions – with danger and near-misses at every turn.

After narrowly escaping a hungry weasel and a swooping hawk, poor little Robin is struck by a wave and washed up onto a boat during a storm.

I've officially run out of tissues. Oh @Waitrose. You are so loved. By us all. (Add a robin emoji! Please!…) https://t.co/ydCvzCbz8f

— David Feng (@DavidFeng) November 13, 2016

Against the odds, Robin recovers and manages to make it home, where there is something very important waiting for him; no, not just the mince pie – his lovebird!

Cry-face emojis have now taken over Twitter, as heartwarmed viewers brand this ad the ‘sweetest’ of all.

If Lidl didn’t send you over the edge, then this one certainly will; after all, we’re all just trying to make it home for Christmas, aren’t we?