Last year saw Ikea promoting the value of a good night’s sleep, and in its latest campaign the furniture brand is placing an emphasis on the importance of play and security for a happy family life.

It has gone about this in typically quirky fashion, however, with the stars of the ad being two super ripped teddy bears who are shown looking after the home so that a father and daughter can maximise the time they have together.

The underlying message is that Ikea is the retailer to help make your home life great, but the spot also gives a nod to the way our work-life balance has been disrupted during the pandemic, when the bears intercept a work call that may have put pay to the family’s fun.

It’s another example of Ikea’s canny ability to reflect on the complexity of modern life in its ads, but without resorting to cliché or sentimentality. Plus those muscly bears would make a good new product line too.

Ikea marketing communications manager Kemi Anthony will be appearing alongside Mother London partner Katie Mackay-Sinclair to talk about their work together at the Festival of Marketing on October 21. More info is at festivalofmarketing.com