A Christmas television advert by a German supermarket chain has been described as "more heartbreaking" than the one put out by John Lewis after being subtitled for English-speaking audiences.
Its powerful theme of elderly loneliness strikes a similar chord to John Lewis' acclaimed 'Man On The Moon' advert released earlier this month.
But the Edeka advert goes one step further, and some users are claiming it has overtaken the British store's crown in the stakes for the most powerful ad yet.
An old man features as the centrepiece of the unfolding drama during the two-minute-clip, and as years go by the Granddad graces the table on his own, dressed up and eating all alone.
The advert is melting hearts
"I just wanted to call and let you know that we can’t make it for Christmas this year," the daughter’s message plays on his answerphone as the granddad is seen proudly putting up his daughter’s family Christmas card on the mantlepiece.
"We’ll try again next year. It’ll work out, I promise. Merry Christmas Daddy," the message concludes. The same small voice is heard crying "See you soon. Merry Christmas Grandpa!" before the phone cuts out.
He then can be seen sat at his Christmas table alone as the years pass by, his family having not visited his house.
Fast forward several months and his daughter, plus her various brothers, all receive news of their father's death. The offspring, visibly full of regret, return to their family home to pay their respects, and tearfully embrace each other outside.
But when they enter the property, the old man, who is still alive, walks into the dining room and says, "How else could I have brought you all together?"
His relatives are stunned, but fight off the tears to break out into wide smiles and they all end up eating together.
The whole ordeal was just too much for some social media users who flocked to Twitter to react to the sad advert: