Getting IKEA Canada’s catalogue in the mail as summer nears its end often fills many Canadians with excitement and this year’s campaign builds on the idea that that excitement can pay off for anyone, regardless of the kind of home they are trying to outfit.
All of the creative provides a choice between the different ways people choose to live their lives in their home, and showing that IKEA’s products can fit within either one. That’s true whether it’s families that have a “phone-free dinner” policy or ones that are free to “post that roast” on Instagram. Product-specific creative puts “couch surfers” against “couch potatoes,” or “pillow fighters” against “pillow talkers.” Some of the out-of-home executions are location-specific, referencing “athleisure/all leisure” in Vancouver, or “uptown/never north of Bloor” in Toronto.
The out-of-home creative is replicated in digital ads, with some interactive banners allowing customers to choose one of the two options and see the whole room the product could fit in.
This year’s campaign builds off of a concept from last year’s IKEA catalogue campaign (both were handled by Diamond Integrated Marketing), albeit with more creative inspiration taken from the luxe styling and Nordic colours found within the catalogue.
Lauren MacDonald, head of marketing for IKEA Canada, says that since the concept of the 2019 catalogue is based around “the many different ways” people live in their homes, last year’s idea would continue to resonate, and the company wanted to explore more of the possibilities that were offered by the “one IKEA catalogue for millions of lifestyles” concept.
“We know the home is truly the product of the unique individuals and living situations within its walls, so our campaign seeks to celebrate and embrace our differences, while proving there is really no such thing as a typical IKEA home or customer,” she says.
Based on consumer trends, another change to this year’s campaign is a focus on smaller spaces, and the greater degree of personalization consumers are looking for to make those spaces feel like home.
To that end, this year’s campaign also included a partnership with Bell Media that involved hosts of its show The Social creating four unique, different rooms based around the same two hero products, the Kallax shelving unit and Liatorp console table. MacDonald says The Social is a good fit with its target audience, but also notes each host of the daytime talk show is known for having different style and opinions, and having them build distinct rooms based around the same products was an easy way to bring the campaign idea to life.
Jungle handled the integration with Bell Media, as well as media buying on the broader campaign.
Assets from the campaign are appearing in TV, out-of-home, digital, social and search channels. The annual catalogue is always a heavy marketing priority for IKEA, and MacDonald says excitement for its arrival remains high among Canadian consumers.
“It is a touchpoint the brings a lot of excitement and joy when it arrives in mailboxes every year,” she says. “Since the catalogue started arriving in mailboxes last week, we’ve already seen it rise as one of our most-discussed topics on social media. Many of our customers have annual traditions or rituals when their catalogue arrives, taking the time to read it from cover to cover with a cup of coffee.”
