The advert ditches Christmas sentimentality in favour of a humorous take on festive season anxiety.
The ‘Silence the Critics’ campaign, by Mother, features a family suffering a bout of ‘home shame’ when faced with hosting a Christmas dinner – something most people can relate to.
Lying around the messy living room are an eclectic mix of ornaments and toys that come to life to taunt the family.
Inanimate objects – including lucky cats, a scary rabbit teapot, porcelain snails, pandas and a duck handle umbrella – bring the mum's insecurities to life by rapping an original grime track voiced by MC D Double E.
When the toy dinosaur begins to rap, the woman has had enough and throws it into a chest before the family gives the living room a a much-needed Christmas IKEA makeover.
"Our first IKEA Christmas advert focuses on the phenomenon of ‘home shame’ - encouraging people to overcome the negative voices in their head holding them back from open up their homes," IKEA UK and Ireland country marketing manager Sarah Green said.
"It was born from the common feeling, that along with the seasonal joys, a lot of us feel a looming sense of dread when it comes to hosting others, with many of us feeling ashamed of our homes over the Christmas period. This campaign aims to inspire us all to get our homes party-ready and ‘silence the critics’, once and for all."
The campaign launches with film across broadcast and VOD TV, cinema and digital media on 8 November.
There are 90", 60" and 20" cuts of the video, supported by OOH, press, CRM and PR. Bespoke social content features three films that show how to tackle potential home shame with simple changes using handy tips and IKEA products.
