Pet ownership in the key IKEA Al-Futtaim markets in the Middle East is on the rise: with approximately 1.5 million pet owners, or as they prefer to be called, pet parents (source: Pet World Arabia exhibition in Dubai).

IKEA's goal was to connect with this emerging and growing audience by a one of the brand’s core values that resonates more in the region: Affordability.

The objectives outlined in the brief included to engage with this expanding audience, enhancing the perception of affordability within the region, driving sales growth specifically within the range of items priced between 0-100 AED (approximately 0-25$), and accentuating the prominence of affordable products in IKEA's offerings.

Recent studies reveal that 67% of people aged 18-32 choose pets over parenthood. Naturally, as these furry friends become integral parts of households, the frequency of little domestic accidents also increases.

The idea was to highlight affordability by featuring iconic IKEA products accidentally broken by cats and dogs. Showcasing the heartfelt moments and challenges that pet parents often experience at home in their everyday lives, while also comforting them: with IKEA, their furry friends’ mischiefs are problems they can afford.

At the recent Pet World Arabia exhibition in Dubai, it was revealed that the UAE boasts around 1.5 million pet owners. This statistic holds significance for both budget-conscious pet owners and avid consumers of humorous animal content online.

The online realm, particularly platforms like Instagram, witnesses’ vast engagement with hashtags such as #cat and #dog, tallying up to 205 million and 320 million uses respectively. YouTube remains a hotspot for evergreen compilations of funny dog and cat videos, while Facebook serves as a hub for pet owners sharing updates about their furry family members.

Viral videos depicting pets wreaking havoc on household items often capture the attention of social media users. Aligning with this trend, the campaign strategically adopts a similar approach to seamlessly integrate with the viral nature of social media content.

The campaign was executed strategically, integrating digital and traditional media with a focus on social platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

Collaborating with @KrisFade, an influencer with 1M followers known for pet parenting, bolstered engagement. Timed before International Pet Day for increased PR momentum, the launch exclusively at IKEA UAE ensured optimal visibility.

- During the airing time of the campaign, sales of products of the price range 1 -80 Dhs increased 11.5%.

- 98% positive social sentiment in social media.

- IKEA’s affordability perception in the Region increased by 6%.

- The campaign became viral and had an increase of 5222% of interaction compared to the previous campaign launched by the brand in the region.

-The campaign got an estimated of 4.1 billion impressions. With an estimation of $18 Million in earned media.

- The campaign was shared across 73 countries. Highlighting all the key Markets where IKEA Al-Futtaim is present (UAE, Oman, Egypt, Qatar

- Change in behaviour, local considering having pets now