Open up any IKEA catalogue and you’ll see bright, cheery pictures of the brand’s distinctively designed products. This might be how some cultures eat, but Taiwan is a little different.

Taiwan’s fiercely proud and expanding food culture is led by street food vendors trying to make good food fast for a culture that finds itself with less and less free time to sit and eat. When you pick up a meal, it comes in a disposable container with plastic cutlery and there’s nothing “IKEA” about that experience.

In that respect, IKEA is still an outsider to Taiwan’s food culture. We wanted to help IKEA find a way to become a part of the culture’s fabric, complement and accelerate its passion for great experiences and show them that fast food doesn’t also have to be ugly.

Diners going to A-Zong were surprised to see a full dining set-up outside of the restaurant and were even more surprised to learn it was IKEA that successfully grafted its style onto Taiwanese meals.

It was as “simple” as laying some tables with a selection of crockery and cutlery settings that showcased the variety and beauty of IKEA designs. It was as “simple” as providing chairs for people to sit and enjoy their meals. It was as “simple” as putting napkins and cloths on the tables to give a sensation of calm and quality.

We filmed everything, from A-Zong customers, international tourists to nearby residents or even passersby to produce documentary video and their very real reactions to it. We also co-opted check-ins and hashtags from photos and posts at the iconic A-Zong spot through Facebook and Instagram, encouraging on-site customers and other netizens to share the joy.

The campaign achieved its objective by increasing store visits by 10% for the month after the stunt.

The sharing power of the viral video is beyond boundaries. Overall the campaign reached over 2 million people and the video broke the record of IKEA fanpage for 2015 with 780,000+ views, 18,464 likes, 1,950 shares and thousands of comments.

On site customers surveyed claimed that their NT $50 food had tasted like USD $50 and most of all, we inspired many to take IKEA’s dining design to heart and helping them realize the proud Taiwanese eating experience could be even better at home.