Ad break - The Guardian

Watch a Swedish commercial that squeezes a man's life into a minute in our review of new adverts from around the world

Link to video: Ad break: Ikea, VW, Land Rover

Land Rover: 'Roam Free' (00:03) - US

It was a bold decision to exclude the advertised car from this commercial but it really pays off. Using a beautifully choreographed representation, director Noam Murro has perfectly captured the idea that the Land Rover can provide its driver with the freedom to explore the most challenging terrain. And it's all done without despoiling so much as a blade of grass.
Agency: Young & Rubicam (New York)
Director: Noam Murro

Zagorka: Beauty Queen" (01:07) - Bulgaria

The advertised beer may be a source of national pride in Bulgaria, but sales have been falling in recent years and they recently turned to London's BBH to reinvigorate the brand. The resulting series of commercials deliberately veers away from old-fashioned imagery soaked in traditional values in favour of a surreal approach.
Agency: BBH (London)
Director: Augusto Gimenez Zapiola

Ikea: 'Bed for Life' (01:55) - Sweden

In just over a minute there's enough detail packed into this commercial to create a sense that we know the man at its centre. As he meanders his way through life encountering the usual landmarks, the only real constant of his existence is the Ikea bed. It's a slice of life designed to underline the family values promoted by the Swedish furniture retailer and it's beautifully done.
Agency: Åkestam Holst (Stockholm)
Director: Jesper Ericstam

Deep RiverRock: 'Cafi' (03:15) - Ireland

This short Irish commercial has performances that merit comparison with the great American commercials director Joe Sedelmaier. A well-scripted and dryly-delivered gag allows the advert to do exactly what it's designed to do - highlight the idea that our brains don't function very well when we're dehydrated, while positioning the advertised product as the solution. Literally.
Agency: McCann Dublin
Director: Lena Beug

VW Up: 'Needle In A Haystack' (03:37) - UK

For all the money that's spent on car advertising, TV commercials rarely have anything specific to say about the vehicles they're hawking - but this is an exception. Volkswagen wants us to know that its small car is bigger than we might think and they've found an ingenious way to illustrate this idea. Having the last man's head move out of shot as he emerges from the car underlines the central proposition with immense cleverness.
Agency: adam&eveDDB
Director: Chris Palmer