The advert first aired Tuesday (28 November) during Good Morning Britain on ITV and will later be shown on Channel 4 during the final of The Great British Bake Off.

According to Tui, the ad “tells one of the greatest untold Christmas stories” about what happens to the elves after Father Christmas flies off to begin his deliveries.

After Santa departs on his sleigh, Ricky Martin’s Livin’ La Vida Loca plays and the elves board a Tui flight and jet off on a two-week, sun-soaked holiday.

Award-winning model-maker Andy Gent, whose credits include Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs, Fantastic Mr Fox and The Grand Hotel Budapest and Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride, created each of the 10 bespoke puppet elves. 

In addition to the festive film, the elves will be taking over Tui’s social channels during the festive period – sharing “elfies” from their trip. Tui will also be running a holiday giveaway on social media and offering an “elfie” AR filter to use on Instagram and Facebook. 

Revealing the advert at a launching event on Monday evening (27 November) Sara Ali, Tui UK&I’s director of brand and content, said: “Shaking up the yearly offering of Christmas cliches, our first Christmas campaign celebrates the feeling of downing tools and soaking up some much needed me-time.

“We are always looking for different ways to engage with our audience as part of our Live Happy promise, so we’re very excited to spread some festive cheer this year. During, what can be a particularly busy but special time of year for many, it’s a time to start dreaming of their next adventure to enjoy with family and friends, creating their own life-enriching moments together.”