Introduction

A loser husband is not getting any at home. He asks his wife what he can do to put the spark back into their relationship. Once he finds out he sets off on a mission to do whatever it takes to please her, but the end result is not quite what she had in mind.

Credits

A Lightning Bug production

Stupid Husband: Jack Till

Director of Photography: Mark Carter

Background

A departure from the standard home and furniture advertisement, this spoof Ikea ad takes the theme of Men are From Mars Women are From Venus style cross-gender miscommunication to its logical extreme with hilarious results.

Explanation

A silly, sexy spoof Ikea commercial, playing on themes of domesticity and communication differences between the sexes, Munching Rug / Rug Muncher is an example of the traditional cheeky, but harmless and charming British seaside humour characterised by the Carry On films.

The basic premise is that a young couple are trying to put the fire back into their love life. The husband asks what it would take for him to see more action in the bedroom, and when his wife tells him he acts to give her what he wants - some nice new carpet for the bedroom.

We open on the eager husband desperately scouring Ikea for the right kind of rug to please his hot wife. After a heavy day of shopping he proudly heads back home with his purchase. Slightly perplexed, but ready for anything, the foolish man calls upstairs hoping he has done enough to satisfy his wife.

The punch line of the advert hinges on the duality of meaning of the British slang term 'munching rug' or 'eating rug'. The ambiguity of the colloquial phrase creates the opportunity for miscommunication between the couple and opens the door to the comedy of stupidity, innuendo and double entendre which is reinforced by the tagline: Ikea. Tasty new rugs - not for munching. An additional benefit of the format of the ad is that it acts as a natural and convenient showcase for the retailer's products.