Ikea just released the most refreshing Christmas ad I've seen in a while

While brands like to present their Christmas ads as the pinnacle of creativity, most tend to focus on a similar topic: the importance of togetherness. So it's refreshing to see Ikea take a different tact with its own 2023 offering, celebrating instead the moments of solitude we all need during the festive season.

Cleverly titled Take a Holiday from the Holidays, the ad shows various merrymakers (wilful or otherwise) taking a moment of respite, shutting themselves in various bedrooms and bathrooms for a breather. And while CGI creatures and saccharine soundtracks are all well and good, this is one of the more relatable Christmas ads I've seen.

The ad was made by creative agency Rethink for Ikea Canada, and is set to a soft cover of Tiffany's I Think We’re Alone Now. Sure, the highlighted products don't feel hugely relevant to the concept itself (rugs, beds, mirrors – the sorts of things you get in Ikea, basically), but then the John Lewis ads don't tend to make me rush out to buy a scarf either. Retailers gonna retail.

Somewhat surprisingly, this isn't the first Christmas ad we've seen highlighting festive fatigue – McDonald's' new ad depicts people leaving various Christmas obligations early and hungrily marching towards – you guessed it – McDonald's.