We wanted to dispel the belief that a trip to IKEA can be a source of arguments for couples, while also acknowledging the rising cost of Australian weddings. In a grand gesture, IKEA made one couple’s dream come true by hosting their nuptials on Valentine’s Day 2013.

A one-off eDM sent to members of IKEA’s loyalty card program, IKEA family, garnered over 500 responses from loved up couples. IKEA fanatics Chad and Lynne were chosen, with media, consumers and the IKEA Facebook community invited to follow every step of their journey, from picking their wedding reception crockery to tying the knot in front of hundreds of family, friends, Facebook fans, media and IKEA shoppers.

With all products at the ceremony and reception sourced from IKEA, the target audience of homewares fans and DIY wedding planners were inspired, while couples dreading a visit to IKEA were prompted to consider that romance could exist among the flat-packs.

The wedding generated 84 pieces of editorial coverage, reaching over 15 million Australians. The story also went global, featuring on Good Morning America, The Huffington Post and the Daily Mail online.

Following the Valentine’s Day event, top of mind awareness increased by 6% among shoppers. Proving that a wedding needn't be expensive to be stylish, IKEA Australia has put plans in place to make a wedding registry a permanent part of their offering.

Our objective was to prove that whilst IKEA is perceived as notorious for arguments between couples, fun and romance could live amongst the flat-packs and room sets too.

The wedding was also an opportunity to highlight the affordable yet stylish array of items available in store, targeting couples heading down the aisle and proving that a DIY wedding could look beautiful, even on a tight budget.

We referenced the market research showing the high cost of a wedding, offering a reason to consider IKEA as a wedding product destination.

This unique love story resonated with the Australian public. In all, 84 pieces of editorial coverage were generated, reaching over 15 million Australians. This included four spots on nationwide breakfast show Sunrise, and national news coverage on Channels 7,9 and 10.

International coverage was achieved on Good Morning America, The Huffington Post and The Daily Mail online, the world’s most read online news source.

The bespoke IKEA Wedding RSVP housed within a Facebook tab received 792 entries from NSW residents alone. This, combined with inspirational visual wedding updates, helped the campaign to reach 388,848 users and engage 44,751. Overall, social media helped us to inspire customers to consider IKEA’s cost-effective and customisable product options for their own weddings

The couple was sourced via an eDM sent to members of loyalty card program, IKEA Family in October 2011.

With hundreds of entries whittled down, a winning couple was chosen in January 2012.

The first media and consumer facing outreach was the debut of the couple, launched via an ‘engagement‘ shoot and announcement at the store in November 2012.

Lifestyle online media was challenged to create wedding receptions using IKEA products during January 2013.

The day of the wedding, Valentine’s Day 2013, saw media coverage nationally and internationally across TV, radio, print and online.

Social media amplified the messages across all stages of the campaign, during the lead up to the big day and consistently supported offline media activity. The Facebook community, numbering over 195,000 fans, was further engaged via a competition to attend the wedding as a guest.

One of the most common topics of conversation among consumers, in the media, and on Facebook is how a trip to IKEA can be a cause of arguments and discord between couples.

In addition, existing market research showed that the average cost of a wedding in Australia was over $35,000* and going up.

We had the opportunity to dispel the perception of IKEA as a relationship crusher, as well as showing couples that their big day needn’t be expensive to be the happiest one of their lives.

* Weddings in Australia: Market Research Report, IBISWorld, April 2012

The ambition was to surprise and challenge the public perception of IKEA as a brand and on its product offerings, whilst debunking the myth of IKEA as a source of arguments between couples.

To deliver against these requirements, we ensured each step of the communications, assets and the wedding itself was romantic, beautiful and focused on the happy couple, and the inspiring products used.

IKEA’s quirky, humourous and humble tone of voice was omnipresent, allowing media to have fun with the subject and allowing the team to maintain a single-minded approach, and delivery that only the IKEA brand could deliver.