In its latest campaign, “Influenced by You,” IKEA acknowledges Gen Z’s creative cultural influence, encouraging students to use the store’s design and decorating solutions to uniquely express themselves.

The campaign is based on the insight that for many students, their dorm or apartment is the first time they get to fully design and express themselves in a space.

“Starting with the insight that our Gen Z target audience values self-expression and personalization, we developed a campaign that shows how easy and affordable it is for students to create spaces that truly reflect who they are with IKEA,” says Claudia Mayne, director, marketing communications at IKEA Canada.

“[The campaign] leverages the distinct personal styles of students to influence furniture, make it authentic and give it meaning – not the other way around,” said creative directors Dorota Kulig and Tara Wright, both of whom joined Pigeon, the agency responsible for the IKEA work, in February.

Pigeon created a series of unique spaces “influenced” by the individual styles of real students, not influencers. Engaging with its creative teams in Toronto and Montréal, the agency developed a series of Gen Z style headlines that speak to the confidence students can have when it comes to back-to-school.

The media plan includes digital, social, OOH, sponsorships, and audio spots, handled by agency Carat. The retailer’s digital partner is Wingfield Digital, while Wunderman Thompson handled loyalty.