Advertisers' holiday ads so far have taken different approaches to the pandemic: some avoid it completely and try to cheer us up instead, and some use it to make a heartwarming point. Here's one from Australian retailer Myer that actually leans into the chaos and disappointment of 2020 and has fun with it. 

Created via Clemenger BBDO, it takes the form of a Christmas song whose message is that this year, the holiday is "bigger than Christmas." Instead, it suggests, it should be all about all the celebrations you've missed this year, from Mother's Day to graduations to weddings. 

The piano player gives a soulful performance of lyrics like "You got married in the kitchen, turned 50 in your bed, finished high school in your hallway and got christened in your shed" and the song references the "fires, floods and lockdowns too" that made 2020 particularly difficult for Australians. But to heighten the humor, he's accompanied by a full orchestra wearing everything from wedding dresses to swimsuits and Halloween costumes, representing all the missed events. The film goes on to present us with some amusing mash-ups of Christmas with other holidays, such as the Easter Bunny riding a sleigh, a roast turkey wedding cake and Rudolph at your buck's party. 

Directed by Nick Kelly via Sweetshop, it's immense fun and also manages to be uplifting—and it's certainly a change in direction for Myer, whose previous holiday spots have included several animated collaborations with Aardman.