IKEA Canada is building something other than furniture with a new brand campaign that shows would-be recruits what it’s like to work for the purpose-led retailer.

Called “Build Your Career With IKEA,” the new campaign was driven by data from a recent survey, commissioned by the retailer, that showed 85% of Canadians feel it is important to work for purpose-driven employers that live their values.

Creative features stories from several of IKEA’s 7,400 person national workforce, in a move that deliberately “puts our co-workers centre stage and highlights the diversity of opportunities we facilitate,” explains Tanja Fratangeli, acting CEO and chief sustainability officer with the retailer in Canada.

The campaign serves primarily to build awareness and aid in recruitment efforts for the retailer as it expands into new markets, such as with the opening of a new small-store format location in Toronto’s Scarborough Town Centre this summer. Driven by data gleaned in the aforementioned survey, including statistics that show Canadians care about opportunities for professional development at their job, the campaign aims to highlight the career paths available through IKEA as it aims to “recruit quality talent while creating a lifelong relationship with our existing coworkers,” Fratangeli says.

Among the employees featured in the campaign is Ramiro Pintor Penagos, who moved to Canada from Colombia in 2019. Panagos works at IKEA Calgary as a goods flow co-worker – the retailer’s name for its warehouse pickers. Penagos had previously served for 25 years in the military, but he and his family “moved to Canada to build our future here” – which he says IKEA has made possible through “a supportive environment where you can learn new skills.”

He also notes that his daughters have come to work with him at the retailer as well.

The campaign also features the stories of Soly Joyal, a recovery and quality employee in Beauharnois, Quebec who identifies as queer and drew upon the support of coworkers and their manager in accessing employer-supplied mental health supports – as well as in their personal journey to embrace their new non-binary identity; and Daphne Emmanuel, a shopkeeper in Halifax, who found a fit for her values at IKEA.

Through their stories, the campaign aims to show how IKEA’s purpose is its “superpower,” according to Tanya Bevington, country communications manager.

“We strive to be an employer that demonstrates our values every day,” she adds. “Whether it’s planting trees, making meals for our community or marching for pride across the country, our co-workers come together around ideas we all believe in.”

Rethink handled creative for the campaign, which is running nationally through the end of May. Hill+Knowlton Strategies led the PR and worked with Ikea as well as the Leger Opinion online panel on the survey. Carat led on media.