Ribena ads are usually fun: think judgey cats, the pretentious ‘blackcurrant artist’ or its infernally cheerful lemming-like berry characters, joyously voyaging towards the blender in hopes of a Ribena afterlife.

The brand’s new ad does at least feature the memory of fun, as two siblings dance in the ‘rain’ that starts to fill their living room. They’re having a shared flashback to playing outside as kids, before their mum called them in for a refreshing glass of a certain squash. Then we return to reality: “I miss her,” the sister says. Oof.

Tapping into childhood memories of Ribena is a canny move, and the ad is well made – but it feels a bit heavy.

And despite some canny casting, on first watch it’s not immediately clear that we’re watching siblings, not a couple. Which is a bit awkward.

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