With over 210 million copies printed each year, the IKEA catalogue is the world’s most popular and widely distributed publication. Particularly in Italy, where the release of the new edition is always regarded as an extraordinary event and the publication itself is seen as more than just a catalogue, becoming a true object of desire. Italians love it, wait for it and desire it to the point that thousands of them, as soon as it comes out, steal a copy from their neighbours, coworkers and family members.

The brand sent the new catalogue with one of the covers to almost 500,000 customers: 50,000 registered members received it in their letterbox, while over 360,000 were able to collect their copy from the brand’s 21 Italian stores.

Launched on all the brand’s digital and social channels with an ironic and surreal video, the project involved not only IKEA fans and followers, but also customers and registered members. In fact, the release of the video was followed by a mailing of the new disguised 2018 catalogue directly to the homes of 50,000 registered IKEA members and to 100 of the top influencers and design bloggers in Italy, the creation on the brand’s official website of a tool to allow users to download and print their favourite covers in the comfort of their own homes, and the organisation of a series of events in the brand’s 21 Italian stores to distribute over 360,000 covers to customers.