The resulting idea was an elevation of our strategic direction:

“It’s the little, everyday things that make life what it is.”

Our creative strategy was to begin with received wisdoms about everyday life at home in the UK, then look back to Swedish culture and the IKEA range to challenge them, determining an emotional benefit that could connect with those ambivalent towards IKEA. And in celebrating everyday things that people overlooked, we couldn’t simply mirror everyday life, we had to transform it; we named this:

‘The Wonderful Everyday’

Over the course of the first six years this has come to life across everything from social to autonomous litter-clearing boats and has brought flying t-shirts, beds in the clouds, a lion man, dancing ghosts and a kitchen full of monkeys to TV screens in the UK & Ireland.

In the UK IKEA had long been taken as being ‘the wacky Swede’ but at the archives in A¨lmhult in Sweden, we uncovered a more profound brand insight; Ingvar Kamprad’s founding vision for the business.

“To create a better everyday life for the many people.”

At once lofty yet pragmatic, this chimed with the realities of 2013; with the poor economic conditions, a better life for the many people was no longer found in the outside world. Instead, seeking to save money, Brits retreated inside, cocooning and taking respite in simpler, more affordable things, avoiding extravagance

We found common ground between these changes in the lives of the many people and what IKEA stood for; celebrating improvements in everyday life to demonstrate that IKEA is here to help you create a better everyday life through home furnishings solutions. At the same time, this had a tension with the way Brits felt about the everyday; rushing past it to instead think ahead to big events like Christmas or a Summer holiday.

Six years on, The Wonderful Everyday has exceeded all objectives, driving IKEA towards its long-term 2020 target—to date, the platform has delivered a £7.20 ROI and over £800m in incremental revenue. What’s more:

The market-leading position of IKEA was defended and grown over competitors, including John Lewis.

Yearly revenue goals were delivered and exceeded.

All new launched stores are ahead of their growth targets.

The 7-year decline in penetration turned to growth.

People are shopping IKEA across a broader range of categories, more often.

Communications have driven a broader audience to consider IKEA across a broader range of product categories.

IKEA has gained a more prominent, emotional role in the everyday lives of the many—top of mind awareness and trust have grown.

The client agency relationship is at its strongest and the platform continues to run today.