IKEA is Shocking Norwegians with Alternative Motives to Buy Furniture
A new campaign from IKEA is making headlines for using brutally honest real-life scenes to promote their products.
For decades, IKEA has been showing us how beautiful our homes could be. But in their newest campaign, they are boldly admitting that "Life is not an IKEA catalogue". The commercials show the illusion of a picture-perfect IKEA catalogue home being invaded by life itself. Rather than just showcasing their new products in their usual inspirational way, we see their furniture peed and vomited on, and destroyed at a party. They then show us how their products are designed for life's big and small challenges.
'Life is not an IKEA catalogue' - An image from the latest IKEA campaign in Norway
One of the films, showing a mom violently throwing up whilst trying to play with her toddler, has caused a stir in Norway. Where some find the film a bit gross and disturbing, most were positively engaged and praised the film for showing a relatable side of a not so perfect life.
IKEA's Head of Marketing Communication, Annika Mørch Asté, is not afraid of showing their furniture in a more brutally honest light. "IKEA products are made to let you handle the everyday, because we believe that both furniture and your home are meant to be used. Sure, it's a bit rough to see our products on TV covered in vomit and dog pee," Annika laughs. "But life isn't always neat and tidy, so we think it's great that the campaign can reflect just that," she concludes.
"With this campaign, we wanted to showcase the more honest sides of life at home and how our products are designed to withstand daily life. Good design does more than just look great in a catalogue," says Celin Kjenslie, Country Marketing Manager at IKEA Norway.
