IKEA pulls off a kitschmas cracker with its first-ever festive ad

We’ve come to expect a certain quirky cheekiness in an IKEA ad, and the Swedish store’s first Yuletide campaign doesn’t disappoint. 

Directed by comedy king Tom Kuntz, through MJZ, the spot leverages the downside of the season of goodwill, the hospitality one’s compelled to offer which can lead to crippling bouts of ‘home shame’. 

With an original track from legendary grime MC D Double E, Silence the Critics follows the plight of a family whose collection of kitsch ornaments advises them, just as they’re about to host a dinner party, that the house is a tip. 

“This table’s older than the pyramids,” proclaims a hideous snail salt and pepper set. “At least it’s younger than the mirror is,” replies a swivelling duck-head umbrella handle. 

Of course, the situation calls for the type of revamp only a stylish, out-of-town, flatpack mega retailer can sort – and those pesky rapping doodads need putting away.