Sustainability has been a core part of IKEA’s democratic design for decades. But in recent years, we’ve committed to a circular transformation of our entire business, in hopes of enabling and inspiring more than 1 billion people around the world to live more sustainable lives at home.

And what better day to spark behavioural change than on Black Friday? Because while every other retailer lowers the price in the name of consumerism, we don’t do Black Friday at IKEA. Instead, we take a stand against it in original ways. In 2020, we let our customers bring back their old furniture.

And in 2021, we decided to close the loop, and make everyone want used furniture over new on Black Friday, by giving them a deal that’s better for their wallet – and the planet.

CIRKULÄR is a circular campaign and service that empowers and inspires people to live more sustainable lives at home.

We launched the first part of the campaign by running ads without any furniture, for the first time in IKEA history. The ads asked people to sell their old classics back to us, and so they did, bringing back 155.000 pieces of IKEA classics before Black Friday.

We then restored and advertised the old furniture at discounted prices in the campaign’s second part, asking people to save more than money, if they couldn’t tell the difference between new and old.

And to top it all off, we bought back our old design classics from several second hand sites, and resold them at original prices on Black Friday, both physically in events at IKEA warehouses and digitally on Instagram Live.

According to a report from J. Walter Thompson Intelligence, consumers expect brands to be sustainable. Data shows that 89% of those surveyed ‘care personally’ about protecting the planet. 92% said they are trying to live more sustainably, while 83% would always pick the brand that has the better record of sustainability; and 90% agreed that brands/companies have a responsibility to take care of the planet and its people.

The research also found that while consumers’ intentions are good, they often fail to put them into practice.

We targeted the growing sustainability audience that often find themselves stuck between good intensions and actions, price and convenience often being the barriers that holds them back.

The data and insights proved crucial in the strategic process and creative conception of CIRKULÄR, knowing we had to make it easy and affordable to be sustainable.

The 'Buy Back' part of the campaign ran three weeks before Black Friday, and the 'Resell' part ran one week prior.

The campaign was featured on TV, outdoor, print, social and digital in up to 28 countries.

What started on consumerism's biggest day, is now a sustainable service, 365 days a year – driving both behavioural change and strengthening our brand on a global scale.

Through various retail activations and touchpoints, the campaign led to increased brand affinity and measurable commercial success.

155.000 pieces of furniture received

Used furniture received/sold: Index 756/128

Positive Impact Perception: +29%

Brand Desire: +17%

Value Proposition: +20%