Hasta La Creative!

Ikea’s list of 2014 advertising triumphs is endless: the horny chairs for Valentine’s Day; the awesome RGB billboard; the whirling-kitchen ad; the ethereal ode to sleep for Ikea beds; the climbing-wall billboard; the hilarious pitch of catalog as tech device. Almost no marketer had a better year.

Now, Mother London gets the brand off and running for 2015 with the remarkable spot below, in which a flock of itinerant T-shirts are seen flying around the world before finally finding a home.

It was directed by Blink’s Dougal Wilson—who actually made two of Adweek’s 10 best ads of 2014 (Lurpak’s “Adventure Awaits” and John Lewis’s “Monty the Penguin”). The spot also features some great puppeteering work by Blinkink directors Jonny & Will.

Hopefully it’s just the beginning of another strong year for Ikea. Full credits below.

CREDITS
Client: Ikea
Agency: Mother, London
Director: Dougal Wilson
Production Company: Blink
Puppeteering: Jonny & Will, Blinkink
Editor: Joe Guest, Final Cut
Postproduction: MPC

The mini-wave of brands casting gay couples in TV ads this year continues to rise, with the likes of Honey Maid, Cheerios, and DirecTV all diving in. More power to them. But Ikea was the first marketer to feature a gay couple in a mainstream commercial. Twenty years ago.

The 1994 spot below, from Deutsch, ran after 10 p.m. in three markets where Ikea then had a significant presence: New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. The late-night airing ensured that the ad wouldn’t be seen during “family hour” programming. That concession, however, did little to quell the objections of the American Family Association and its leader, the Rev. Donald Wildmon.

Wildmon called for boycotts of Ikea stores, one of which, on Long Island, was the target of a bomb threat, which turned out to be unfounded. The retailer, however, continued to air the ad, which was part of a lifestyle campaign featuring different types of consumers (a divorced mom, adopting parents, empty nesters, etc.) that began in 1993.

The creative team behind “Dining Room,” including creative director Greg DiNoto, associate cd Kathy Delaney, copywriter Dallas Itzen and art director Patrick O’Neill, are no longer at Deutsch. But O’Neill, who later worked at TBWAChiatDay and now is chief creative officer at blood testing company Theranos, shared his memories of helping to create something that didn’t win awards but was truly groundbreaking.

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AdFreak: Where did the idea for “Dining Room” come from?
Patrick O’Neill: We would base a lot of our stories on the real people we would see. We’d go to the New Jersey store—in Elizabeth—and because [the ads] were based on real people, we would watch, observe and see how people use the product, who they were, what kinds of things they were buying. And we’d figure which stores were the best ones. And there were a lot of gay couples there. We thought, Why don’t we do one? Donny [Deutsch] thought it was a great idea and felt like it was a true representation of Ikea’s values, which is they’re always accepting of everyone.

So, that store was like your focus group or idea center?
It was. And we figured out where life intersected with furniture. … You had to understand what was going on in the culture at that time, I thought, versus just doing [ads] in a sort of timeless manner. Divorcees still go there, that kid still gets adopted, and gay couples still go there, you know [laughs]. It just wasn’t a typical depiction in media.

What was the shoot like?
A lot of the grips and all the people that were working on the set—you could feel that there was a lot of tension in the air because it was so unusual to see.

Did you shoot it at the store?
Yes.

Who was the director?
Paul Goldman. He had just started directing. [At Deutsch] he worked on the original “It’s a big country. Someone’s got to furnish it” campaign that was the year before.

How nervous was Ikea going into this?
They believed in it from the beginning. They were never nervous about it.

Did you have to test it?
No.

Did you think at the time that more people would follow in the footsteps of that ad?
I did.

Why didn’t that happen?
It’s interesting. I think the reason why people remember the ad was because it was done in a way where it was, “Wow, they really did it.” We weren’t mucking around. It was clear what was going on. And there were bomb threats. There was backlash. There were New York op-eds written about it. I mean, there were all kinds of things happening. In the years that followed—not too long after—Ellen [DeGeneres], she came out. Melissa Etheridge came out. A lot of women came out at the time. So, I think the culture started doing it without it being commercials. But as far as brands, I think they were nervous about it.

Does the groundswell we’re seeing now reflect what’s going on with state marriage laws?
Yeah. I think it’s also that the millennials and younger are very accepting of [gay] marriage. When that is legitimized by a large core of consumers, you can have that in communications because the approval rating for that is much, much higher once you get to a certain age group.

Would a different creative team have done the same thing?
No. … Look, the way we cast, and had them speak about their relationship, and the premise—it was all based on real stuff. I think the reason it turned out the way it did was all those people working together on it. We knew gay people, and I felt like the lone representative [laughs]. I felt a lot of responsibility making sure I didn’t let my people down.

How proud are you of this, ultimately, and is it still up there in your top three ads?
Well, I’m proud of it because it was the first one. It was scary in some ways. Everyone was true to the period, but there was no precedent. And it wasn’t a welcoming environment. So, that part of it makes me proud and happy to be part of.

Feeling a little down? Don’t worry. Ikea’s new piece of furniture thinks you’re amazing.

The Swedish retailer has introduced a prototype of a mirror in Britain that looks you up and down and (thanks to Kinect technology and some “complex coding”) gives you a robo-compliment, which people appear to be as thrilled to receive as the real thing.

This “Motivational Mirror” is based on very scientific information, commissioned by the retailer itself, which found:

• 49% of Brits receive no compliments in an average week
• 43.6 million people in the U.K. are self-critical of their appearance
• 33% of the nation feel they look their worst before 9 a.m. on a Monday morning

But this mirror tries to fix all that.

Ikea also did research into which specific compliments people would like to hear. Among the top choices were “Your eyes are mesmerizing,” “Have you been working out?” and “Your skin is glowing”—all of which are incorporated into this mirror’s uplifting robo-repertoire.

The retailer demo-ed the mirror in its Wembley store to” raise awareness of how simple solutions in the home can make our daily routines better,” according to the release.

“We all know how that first look in the bathroom or bedroom mirror can determine whether we have a good or bad day,” says Myriam Ruffo, head of bedrooms and bathrooms at Ikea U.K. and Ireland. “That’s why we thought—wouldn’t it be great if the mirror actually told you something positive for a change!

It is a little funny that Ikea is trying to jump into Dove territory. (And yes, the inspirational talking mirror idea has been done before—most notably by the all-female Austin band The Mrs., but also by other marketers.) Still, no real harm done, I suppose?

Just as long as they don’t mass produce this thing. (Worst actual bedroom mirror ever.)

I love the smell of Hemnes in the morning.

Some lucky Australians will soon wake up in an Ikea store in New South Wales after spending a night there as part of an oddball promotion with Airbnb.

Interested parties can sign up on the lodging rental site for a chance to win a sleepover in one of three groovy showrooms: “Rustic Charm,” “Inner City Living” and “Modern Elegance.” Three groups of up to four guests will get to stay in the store overnight on Aug. 31, enjoy a fancy dinner and even keep the sheets they slept on. Local marketing shops The Monkeys and Mango helped devise the stunt.

Ikea says the promotion is designed to inspire people to make more of their homes “from clearing and creating space to making homes guest ready in the sharing economy.” Because nothing’s better than taking in boarders to make ends meet. That rocks!

Lots of folks would probably savor the chance to enjoy pre-assembled Ikea merchandise. I hope the contest winners gain a measure of revenge for consumers worldwide by going through the store and taking all the furniture apart.

CREDITS
Clients: Ikea and Airbnb
Creative Agency: The Monkeys
Event: Mango
PR: Mango and Espresso Communications

Réalisée par Keith Schofield et produite par Caviar, voici la nouvelle campagne d’IKEA au Royaume-Uni : « Chaque jour merveilleux » rassemble famille, convivialité, ergonomie, et design dans une vidéo dynamique qui montre une cuisine de famille en mouvement constant, mais où tout néanmoins se passe en douceur.

Here's a kitchen ad that might leave you a little nauseated, but for once that has nothing to do with food.

In Ikea's new spot from Mother London, promoting the retailer's first new kitchen furnishing line in 25 years, the set spins, spins and spins. It captures the vibe of kitchens as busy places for the whole family, often feeling like a whirligig what with all the pots and pans and plates and groceries flying around while pets and children scurry underfoot.

Luckily, thanks to Ikea's efficient drawers and cabinets and other space-maximizing furnishings, you can have a smooth-running ship, including putting your young offspring to work setting the table. There's even a place for the sullen teenager to sit and play with his smartphone instead of helping—just to show Ikea really thought of everything.

Helmed by director Keith Schofield, the spot continues Mother's 2014 "The Wonderful Everyday" campaign, which was kicked off with a much darker, almost creepy homage to energy-efficient lighting.

The agency describes its newest spot as a "dazzling and dizzying" portrayal of the Metod collection's customizability.

"To bring to life this new flexible kitchen," Mother writes in its video summary, "the advert shows the units smoothly coping with whatever the family throws at it. Even the dog."

The carousel is a fun and clear-enough metaphor, though in spirit the ad sort of feels like a more mundane version of the agency's 2012 Ikea spot "Playing With My Friends," which had a similar all-hands-on-deck theme and upbeat poise amid chaos vibe—though that one upped the ante by recasting the grown-up as giant toys, a clever play on the kids' imaginations.

This time around, the biggest thing you're left imagining is how much Dramamine this family must keep stocked in the medicine cabinet.

L’étudiant en design basé en Norvège, Joe Ling, a récemment fait une nouvelle identité visuelle très riche pour la marque suédoise IKEA à travers des cartes aux couleurs primaires. Cet étudiant très talentueux livre un vrai travail sur la typographie du logo de la marque, la géométrie et sur le dynamisme des couleurs.

O mundo está cada vez mais cheio, da mesma maneira que o espaço disponível para as pessoas está cada vez mais reduzido. A situação é pior em alguns países, como é o caso de Singapura, de onde vem a série Bedroom Stories, da IKEA. Aqui, a marca mais uma vez aposta nas soluções inteligentes para se aproveitar melhor os espaços, contando histórias de pessoas que precisam otimizar seus quartos.

Por enquanto, a série conta com dois filmes criados pela BBH Asia Pacific, com produção da Black Sheep Productions. A primeira história é de Frank, um cosplayer que aparentemente ainda vive com sua família e já não tem mais lugar para guardar suas roupas e acessórios. A segunda mostra os arranjos complicados feitos por Michele, que mora em um apartamento em que cada cômodo é ocupado por uma família. Em seu caso, ela divide o quarto com o filho e o marido, com quem está tentando ter mais um bebê.

As duas complicadas situações são solucionadas pela IKEA, que consegue otimizar o espaço do quarto de Frank, para que ele possa guardar todas as suas fantasias, roupas e coleções, e dividir o quarto de Michele para dar a ela e o marido alguma privacidade, criando áreas separadas para o casal e a criança.

Os filmes misturam live action e algumas pitadas de animação e stop-motion.

Post originalmente publicado no Brainstorm #9
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A IKEA costuma defender soluções inteligentes para o melhor aproveitamento de espaços, conceito perfeitamente traduzido pela agência Thjnk e o estúdio I Made This para uma campanha recente na Alemanha. O RGB Billboard é um painel branco, de 9m², com três linhas de texto, escritos em cyan, magenta e amarelo, e três lâmpadas nas cores vermelho, verde e azul. Estes elementos foram o suficiente para criar uma mensagem completa, que muda conforme a luz.

A grande sacada foi aplicar aquela lição básica que a gente aprende na escola: se o painel for iluminado pela lâmpada verde, apenas a linha em magenta pode ser lida. Azul faz o texto em amarelo aparecer, enquanto a luz vermelha revela o que está escrito em azul. Em resumo, um painel de 9m² dá a impressão de medir 27m² – mais ou menos o que os produtos da Ikea fazem.

Tipo do projeto inteligente, que soube usar a simplicidade a seu favor.

Post originalmente publicado no Brainstorm #9
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Here's some hot wood-on-wood action for Valentine's Day, courtesy of Ikea. 

BBH Singapore created this Valentine's Day image, which was posted to the brand's local Facebook page and is being featured on posters in stores, according to Campaign Brief Asia.

Hat tip to Mashable, which reminds readers of the even saucier (though unofficial) Ikea stunt, Hot Malms.