IKEA Canada is leaning into purpose-driven brand storytelling to shine a light on the overlooked issue of sleep poverty. The brand’s latest multi-channel campaign is anchored by the Sleepless Lamp, a data-powered bedside lamp that simulates the disrupted sleep patterns of children affected by poverty.

The first-of-its-kind initiative by IKEA advocates for children suffering from sleep poverty by illustrating what it’s like to try to rest without a bed, blankets and other necessities. The Sleepless Lamp flickers to represent up to 20 sleep disruptions an hour, underscoring the real impact of an unstable sleep environment.

Tanya Bevington, head of communications with IKEA Canada, tells strategy the flickering light is designed to make the crisis impossible to ignore, ensuring an emotional and action-driven consumer response.

“We hope that advocacy-driven campaigns like this will help IKEA Canada strengthen our brand affinity and reinforce our leadership in life at home solutions,” she says. “Consumers today, particularly younger audiences, expect brands to take meaningful action on social issues.”

IKEA Canada launched the campaign, in collaboration with agency partner Edelman, during National Sleep Awareness Month to highlight that nearly 500,000 children in Canada go to sleep without a proper bed, the brand says. For children in low-income households, IKEA Canada says sleep poverty creates long-term consequences that include a 38% increase in feelings of sadness for every hour of lost sleep. The company also says 24% of adolescents in sleep poverty report lower grades​ and that sleep poverty leads to a 75% reduction in sleep efficiency compared with children with proper beds.

Additionally, The IKEA Sleep Report 2025 found that one-in-three people in Canada feel tired almost every day. The research also showed that those experiencing financial insecurity suffer 15% poorer sleep quality than the general population.

Bevington says IKEA Canada’s commitment to addressing sleep poverty positions it as a trusted, purpose-driven brand and leads to increased brand loyalty among socially conscious consumers; deeper consumer engagement through meaningful storytelling; and stronger long-term brand equity.

For the initiative, IKEA Canada is investing $300,000 over three years with Furniture Bank to provide 1,200 Sleep Well Kits in 2025, including beds, mattresses and sleep items. As part of the campaign, the brand is also encouraging Canadians to sign the pledge found on its website “to ensure that every child has access to a bed.”

Previously, IKEA Canada highlighted its commitment to purpose-driven brand storytelling is its Second-Hand Tax (SHT) initiative, which won Gold at Cannes 2024. Through the SHT program, IKEA aimed to make sustainable shopping more accessible by working with government to remove the HST on second-hand IKEA furniture purchases.

“This initiative not only promotes circular-economy principles but also reinforces IKEA Canada’s dedication to affordability, sustainability and social impact,” Bevington explains. “By incentivizing second-hand furniture purchases, IKEA is making it easier for customers to embrace sustainability while reducing waste and extending the life cycle of its products. This aligns with our long-term vision.”

Bevington adds that campaigns like Sleepless Lamp also provide an opportunity for IKEA to influence policy change. “Through our pledge initiative, IKEA is calling for government recognition of sleep poverty, funding for furniture banks and research into long-term solutions​,” she says.

The sleep poverty initiative is a fully integrated campaign that includes OOH in downtown Toronto and at the city’s Eaton Centre, plus social, digital, experimental and advocacy-driven action. The campaign also includes a four-day installation at Scarborough Town Centre from March 27 to 30 and advocacy-led marketing including a national pledge urging government action to fund, research and track sleep poverty as a social issue.