IKEA is urging people to take a bit of “me time” to cope with seasonal stresses.

“Take a Holiday from the Holidays” is anchored by a film that shows how people take breaks from holiday festivities, whether hiding in a guest room or giving feet a rest from high heels in the bathroom.

“The holidays are one of the busiest times of the year, and as much as we anticipate and treasure celebrating with family and friends, at some point, we all need a little break,” says Jonelle Ricketts, head of marketing at IKEA Canada. “This year’s holiday campaign is all about showing how IKEA can help create those spaces within any home that are perfect for taking a little breather from the mayhem of the holiday season.”

Ricketts tells strategy IKEA Canada has a long tradition of creating festive holiday spots. One example is last year’s re-running of Diwali-inspired work called “Assemble Together,” which was about a carefree holiday meal.

“This year, we wanted to show Canadians that IKEA understands the pressures of the season and supports them in taking a little break from the holidays when needed,” she says.

IKEA is running the Green Friday campaign again this year, inviting Canadians to make more sustainable choices throughout November with discounts connected to the retailer’s as-is department, which features products that are discontinued, gently-used or returned.

Ricketts says that while its media plan may look similar to last year’s plan, tactically, it’s quite different.

“We have gone big on long-form storytelling and have moved away from airing our 15-second spot on TV,” she says. The retailer’s 30-second spot is airing on linear TV, connected TV and Netflix.

The 60-second spot is being shown in Cineplex theatres across Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.

“Meanwhile, we have focused on impactful and wide-reaching OOH placements in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, moving away from placements solely within proximity of our stores,” says Ricketts, adding that IKEA has also focused on non-skippable digital environments for its shorter 6- and 15-second videos.

The campaign runs until Christmas Eve. Ad spend is comparable to previous holiday brand campaigns, while “reflective of the industry’s current inflation.”

Rethink handled creative, Cart did the media planning and Wunderman Thompson looked after loyalty and CRM.