Our work with IKEA.
Reliving the 90’s to showcase an iconic brand’s impact on people’s daily lives.
Insight.
IKEA arrived in Spain 25 years ago, and that moment marked the birth of a new generation who don’t know life without the brand: the IKEA natives.
As a result of this insight, the strategy was key to demonstrating the impact IKEA has had on our homes. We picked six of these IKEA natives and invited them to take a horrific trip in time to the 1990s in the form of a reality show.
In over 100 hours of filmed content, these Gen Zers had to survive a house with an explosive stove, heavy itchy blankets, rotary phones, smoky mirrors, and dim lights... But in this nightmare, there was a ray of hope—the “IKEA paradise,” where new products were given to those who won challenges, making their lives a little bit more comfortable.
Case study.
Marketing & Insights Director
IKEA in Spain
Laura Durán
“It’s the first time that IKEA has made a campaign in the format of a reality show.
The goal was to show in a humorous way how IKEA’s products have democratized design, marking a before and after in Spanish homes since its arrival in 1996."
“We didn’t want to make an ad that looked like a reality show. We wanted to make a reality show. Period.
You could call this an integrated campaign and you would be right —it’s totally pervasive.
But the way we see it, it’s an extremely popular TV show that happens to be an IKEA campaign."
CCO
McCann Spain
Emiliano Gonzalez De Pietri
Gen Zers were born surrounded by IKEA products, and see them as part of the landscape.
They also relate to the brand's values of sustainability, minimalism, and practicality.
This campaign had three key findings, both strategically and creatively. The first one is the fact that there is a whole generation born in the mid 90's who don’t know life without IKEA–Gen Zers.
Secondly, if we challenged this generation to a life without IKEA, we would be able to showcase all the improvements that IKEA has brought to our lives over the years in an innovative and disruptive way.
Lastly came the decision to show all of this through a reality show–a format that connects with Gen Zers, who would eventually become our best spokespeople, as they are a living example of the brand's impact on people's daily lives.
