Sainsbury's puts the Christmas Day feast into slo-mo this year in its festive ad, highlighting the fact that it's been a "long time coming."  It's the latest U.K. advertiser to refer to the fact that Christmas was basically canceled last year in the U.K., with a lockdown in most regions meaning families could not celebrate together.

Like several other brands, the U.K. supermarket's film, by Wieden + Kennedy London, opts for a celebratory approach to the festive season this year, but with a quirky twist. To the soundtrack of "At Last" by Etta James, we see a family at a holiday party, with many of their moments and expressions slowed down as if frozen in time. A Grandpa cracks open a nut which has exploded everywhere; a woman opens a bottle of Sainsbury's Christmas Prosecco Rosé and we see it spraying in the air; gravy drips from a gravy boat mid-pour; two men at the piano are frozen mid song, mouths agape. (There are, of course, plenty of lingering shots of the food to whet the viewers' appetites.) The spot ends with a voiceover from actor Stephen Fry, proclaiming: “It’s been a long time coming, so let’s make it a Christmas to savor."

The playful film was directed by Pulse Films' Ninian Doff (who helmed the brand's Dickensian epic Nick the Sweep in 2019). The one minute version debuted on Sunday night on ITV, and it will roll out in cinema on Nov. 22, with a 20 second cut also shown across TV and on social.

“With so many of us unable to spend Christmas with our loved ones last year we, along with the nation, are really excited to fully celebrate Christmas once more," said Radha Davies, director of brand communications and creative at Sainsbury’s, in a statement. "One of the true highlights of the festive season is the much-anticipated Christmas dinner. Whilst the food is important, it’s also about what that meal represents, spending quality time with loved ones, catching up, enjoying a delicious meal and above all, having fun together. That’s why we decided to focus on savouring every moment with this year’s ad."