We've seen a few holidays ads this year that put a spin on the traditional heartwarming formula to highlight the work of a charity—examples include Shelter, the American Red Cross and United Way Here's another from the British Heart Foundation, that cleverly reveals the work that the charity does, but only gradually.

The spot by Saatchi & Saatchi London starts with what seems to be the story of a couple bickering at Christmas; he burns the potatoes and she seems to be stressed about the number of people he's asked round. "You weren't supposed to burn the potatoes," says the voiceover, going on to list various other things he wasn't "supposed" to do, like inviting everyone around at 2 p.m., or driving them all home again. But as the list goes on, it becomes apparent that he wasn't supposed to have done any of these things, because he wasn't meant to be alive at all. One shot reveals a surgery scar on his torso, and we finally understand that, thanks to the charity's research, he is.  

The spot was directed by Molly Burdett, whose work was featured in Saatchi & Saatchi’s New Creators’ Showcase this year, via Spindle. 

"It was really important to us to weave real stories into the film by speaking to people who have been directly affected by heart conditions," said Burdett in a statement. "I loved working with the actors to bring out these intimate, authentic moments inspired by real stories and their experiences. We hope this film helps build awareness for the life-changing work that BHF does.”