IKEA needed to persuade consumers that their furniture matched even with the typical "small space" in Japanese homes and allow people to create/enjoy their own dream rooms. Our core idea for solution was to demonstrate ways of furnishing “small space”, using a traditional Japanese format.

TV, newspapers, online and other media made the IKEA launch event/store opening a major story, creating extensive WOM.Opening week sales set the world record for IKEA stores with 1 million customers in the first five weeks.

IKEA's home furnishings knowledge and inspiration was communicated using a traditional Japanese 4.5-tatami (mat) room space (approx. 7m2).Starting with an empty 4.5-tatami room, 14 rooms furnished with IKEA items, were displayed along a popular walking street for couples and young families in the heart of Tokyo.

The launch event, "IKEA 4.5 Museum" attracted the attention from not only the public but also from the press. As a result we succeeded in gaining national media coverage communicating IKEA's Japan launch for broader potential target.