IKEA has opened a small-format store in Scarborough, and the retailer is introducing it to locals by showing it knows all about the town.

A series of ads appearing around Scarborough and targeted to residents are full of references to things that give the town its unique identity, be it the local food scene or attractions like the Scarborough Bluffs and Rouge Park. It also makes references to the fact that the Scarborough Town Centre, where the store is located, often serves as a community hub for residents.

The campaign is part of IKEA Canada’s ongoing “Bring Home to Life” platform, which is focused on showing how the retailer helps people bring the spaces that matter most to them to life.

The new Scarborough Town Centre location is the second small-format store IKEA has launched in Canada. Compared to its larger, more traditional warehouse stores, the new location has a more curated selection of 2,500 products geared towards smaller items and space-saving solutions better suited to urban homes. It also features larger items on display that can be ordered for pick-up or delivery.

“We see Scarborough’s unique culture, diversity and ways of bringing home to life,” said Alicia Carroll, country commercial activity leader for IKEA Canada. “We are not just announcing a new IKEA, we are celebrating a community and joining the people, places and culture that make Scarborough a home.”

When IKEA’s first small-format store launched in downtown Toronto last year, the retailer ran a campaign that turned windows on area homes into ads. Part of the idea was to show how the IKEA location had furnishing solutions suited to any kind of home located in Toronto’s downtown, be it a house, apartment or condo.

Rethink handled creative on the new campaign, enlisting local duo Suech and Beck to handle photography. Carat led the media buy.