The holidays, in America, mean two things: the roaring TV fire of the yule log, and, for some reason, a soothing upper-class English accent.
As other brands try to outdo one another's saccharine fireplace scenes and festive extravagance, KitKat is taking a cue from America's least flashy Christmas tradition and going the extreme minimalist route. Its latest UK ad involves a simple stark gray screen as a narrator explains why you might need a break from all that holiday cheer. Even though the screen is totally blank, somehow the plummy narration makes it sound like "Masterpiece Theater."
"Ahh welcome to nothing," the soothing, if somewhat self-satisfied, voice says. "Nobody suggesting gifts to buy or watching pretend families gathered around the Christmas table...Nice for a change isn't it?"
Whether you're sick of holiday noise or you think the man is being a bit of a Scrooge, the commitment to the bit is admirable: The 30-second spot never breaks from the blank screen and the only brand appearance is the quick tagline at the end of the monologue.