Ikea’s First UK Holiday Ad Is a Hilarious Rap About How Your Apartment Is Crap

But then the holidays come around, and you face a daunting question: Is this place ready to host actual guests?

With its first foray into U.K. holiday advertising, Ikea addresses that moment of reflection with “Silence the Critics,” a 90-second spot set to a custom rap track recorded in the style of Britain’s grime genre by artist MC D Double E.

A variety of decorations and toys come to life to express serious concerns about the state of a couple’s flat, and while the ad notes that such complaints are all in your head, it also offers some suggestions on how to gussy things up a bit.

Intentionally bucking the annual trend of emotionally poignant holiday spots, Ikea’s strikes a more practical tone by addressing a real feeling of unpreparedness when it comes to hosting.

“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 opening up their homes,” says Sarah Green, Ikea’s U.K. and Ireland marketing manager. “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 feeling ashamed of our homes over the Christmas period.”

This isn’t a Realtor ad, so luckily the solution to such minor insecurities isn’t to buy a new place. Instead, Ikea focuses on helping you make some quick fixes and upgrades.

The concept is also being brought to life in Ikea retail locations, where staff have been offering tutorials on easy upgrades that can help you feel more party-prepared.

CREDITS:
Agency: Mother
Production Company: MJZ
Director: Tom Kuntz
MJZ Producer: Emma Butterworth
MJZ Production Manager: Daniel Gay
Production Designer: Chris Oddy
Editing: Russell Icke at the Whitehouse
Music Supervision: Dave Bass and Arnold Hattingh at Wake the Town
Sound: 750mph
Post: Electric Theatre Collective
VFX: Electric Theatre Collective
VXF Producer: Magda Krimitsou
VXF Coordinator: Larisa Covaciu
VXF Creative Director: James Sindle
2D Lead: James Belch
3D Lead: Patrick Krafft
2D Artists: Chris Fraser, Tomer Epsthein
3D Artists: Jordan Dunstall, Ryan Maddox, Mark Bailey, Remy Herisse, Edwin Leeds, Gregory Martin, Nikolai Maderthoner, Will Preston, Stefan Brown, Adrian Lan Sun Luk, Piers Limberg, Zach Pindolia, Olivia Grimmer, Romain Thirion, Richard Fry
Colourist: Luke Morrison