Ikea was aware that furniture shopping can be a source of stress and arguments for couples who have different tastes and preferences, making it harder for them arrive at a consensus. "Furniture shopping really does kill relationships," said a Fast Company article, one amongst scores that document the tension brought about in a relationship through the arduous decision-making process of selecting a coffee table.

IKEA was keen to find a solution that would bring couples on the same page. The brief was to come up with an idea that would make customers feel emotionally understood by the brand.

IKEA brought on actual couples counsellors and relationship therapists, and made them available to any and all customer who was looking for a smoother shopping experience. Or smoother relationship, as it were. Whether a couple needed help resolving a conflict around, say, deciding if the cushion in the den needs to be blue or green, or if they had general trust issues resulting in "Remember when you...," IKEA Couch Counsellors were there to help.

The strategic measure on this campaign was to move away from just discussing furniture and rather build a campaign that focused on the customer's shopping experience to build more brand affinity and love. IKEA needed to prove to their shoppers that we understand them and emphasize that the experience of shopping at IKEA is always a joy.

But our research showed that furniture shopping can actually be a stressful experience for couples who have different tastes of likes but are trying to agree on a purchase. We decided to take this one pain-point and address it head-on.

Our primary target was couples of all ages, as the problem seems to occur at every stage of a relationship.

Couples shopping at IKEA could easily scan a QR code on selected furniture items, and were instantly connected to a mobile site through which they could reserve an appointment with one of the professional therapists that IKEA had brought on board. The couples were then free to discuss openly with the therapist any issue they would like addressed. Whether it was something from the cutlery department, or if it was addressing unequal chore-splitting at home, the therapist was trained and ready to help them.

Specifically targeted items of furniture which our data indicated caused more disputes were chosen to display the QR codes.

Posters, tags, and prompts were used to direct customers to this helpful service.

Our limited-time campaign was a hit with couples, with all of the sessions offered getting booked. Couples scanned the QR codes available in retail outlets, and were swiftly connected to our relationship therapists. Issues ranging from queries on furniture to deeper relationship struggles were discussed, and addressed.

For those who couldn't find an appointment, our helpful app gave customers advice on how to avoid disagreements and conflicts.

We surpassed a million impressions on this limited-time activation.