We launched the concept 'Where life happens 2017' to show that Ikea’s products can help solve or improve all kinds of emotional everyday problems. Whatever the problem might be. Through this integrated campaign, we did everything from creating ads that were also fully functional pregnancy test promoting baby cribs, to show family situations far beyond what you’re used to see in advertising such as adoption, dementia and the hardships of single parenting. We created ultra boring TrueView ads, so boring they became irresistible to watch and more (please see case film). We proved that Ikea is where life happens and that it’s life in itself that is our biggest source of inspiration.

This case creates unique and creative executions for every single media used, without leaving the rules and regulations for each media. It reinvents or challenges the media format without leaving the core of the concept: Where Life Happens. In print the campaign presents a fully functional pregnancy test as an ad, a limited edition ad that became viral and talked about by millions. Today 33% of all Swedes have heard about the ad and know that Ikea can offer great prices on furniture. In film, we created TrueView-films so extraordinarily boring that no one in their right mind would watch the whole thing. This psychological experiment portraying the everyday made the films hit all time high in viewing, keeping viewers glued to the screen in hope of something more, while we presented them with Ikea products. The campaign also included traditional TVCs about subjects rarely touched in commercial film.

In view of Ikea's historically high values, we still managed to significantly surpass the goals: Product preference was exceeded with + 150% (+ 6%) brand preference + 100%, (+ 6%) appreciation for the brand + 150% (+ 6%) and increased advertising efficiency + 65% (+ 3.3%)

The concept in 2017 yielded $12 millions worth of deserved media coverage and an estimated 4,1 billion impressions.

The TrueViews had stunning average viewing rates: over 3 minutes per spot. Google Brand Lift, the results for ad recall and product consideration score ”best in class”, compared to other retail brands. The videos had over 12 million unpaid impressions.

The TVC has managed to break through. Observation 75% vs benchmark 59% (brand with same media investment). Liking 67% vs 55% and affinity 56% vs 43%.

PeeAD had been republished in over 1650 publications and created approx. $12 millions in earned media.

In 2017 Ikea launched a new integrated campaign within their concept 'Where Life Happens'. The concept dramatizes various aspects of Ikea’s genuine presence in peoples’ everyday life in a broad multi-platform campaign. Each media used uniquely to show that life itself is Ikea's biggest source of inspiration when developing new products that can make peoples everyday lives a little bit easier. With boring TrueView films people just couldn't stop watching, TVC's addressing sensitive topics like adoption and innovative solutions such as an ad working as a functional pregnancy test Ikea increased product liking with +150 % (+6 %).

Ikea is the market leader in Sweden and penetration is key. The target audience is almost everybody in Sweden between 18-70 y o. It was important to find a concept that allowed Ikea to be relevant for everybody but interesting enough.

The strategy was built on two insights. We stopped showing how Ikea products are solving functional problems because furniture is an extension of ourselves, and can at the same time be a solution to emotional needs. They can be about safety for children, the reason for a successful conversation, etc. Through the emotional aspect we increased the perceived value which affected product liking.

The second insight comes from the fact that most people have a product from Ikea at home, so Ikea is a part of the many peoples' lives. By reminding Swedes about this we could seize the feelings and events that people experiences.

Ikea is one of Sweden’s most loved brands, but over the years the market penetration has decreased. With a huge product range it’s easy to think that Ikea is peoples´ first choice. But being a generalist has its downsides.

Ikea can’t communicate enough (SoV) in all product categories, compared with specialists. The specialist reframe how people perceives Ikea's products. Buying a bed from a specialist perceives as a better and more relevant choice. Because of that people tend to like the brand more than the products.

The brief: Come up with a concept that make Ikea more relevant and to turn the weak spot (generalist) to something positive and drive product liking. It also needed to handle all communications needs (product range/media) Ikea has.

The objective was to drive preference/product liking because there was a huge correlation between those two metrics and long term visit/sales.