In the spotlight:
"How McCann Spain Revived IKEA's Brand Perception with the 'Trapped in the '90s' Campaign"
2023 Gold Effie
Effie is about awarding ideas that work, educating about effective marketing and showcasing the best work to enhance learning in our industry.
CAMPAIGN NAME
Trapped in the 90's
CATEGORIES
2023 Best of Europe: Retail
2023 Best of Europe: Media & Strategy Idea
CLIENT
IKEA
LEAD AGENCY
Mc Cann Spain
CAMPAIGN DESCRIPTION
IKEA Spain launched the "Trapped in the '90s" campaign to raise awareness of its new product offerings and change the perception that it always has the same products. The campaign involved a reality show where six young "IKEA natives" experienced life in a 1990s-style house devoid of IKEA products, facing challenges and earning new IKEA items to improve their living conditions. This approach highlighted the impact of IKEA products on modern life and aimed to showcase the brand's constant innovation.
THE CHALLENGE
In 2021, IKEA discontinued its famous printed catalog, a key tool for communicating new products and driving sales. This decision, driven by sustainability goals, led to negative consequences such as decreased brand visibility, reduced customer inspiration, and lower purchase intent. Additionally, the home furnishings market faced increased competition from new players and declining consumer interest in new products, exacerbated by economic challenges following the pandemic.
THE STRATEGY
To address these challenges, IKEA created a transmedia strategy centered around the reality show "Trapped in the '90s," featuring:
- Reality Show on YouTube: Eight episodes showcasing the participants' experiences and the introduction of IKEA products as solutions to their challenges.
- Social Media Amplification: Leveraging the contestants' influencer status and IKEA's social media profiles to promote and discuss the show and products.
- Mass Media Visibility: An audiovisual campaign across TV and digital platforms to further boost awareness and engagement.
The results speak for themselves:
New product sales increased +169%.
IKEA Spain ranked #2 worldwide in new product sales.
Over €1.5M worth of new products were sold in the first week.
RESULTS
Trapped in the '90s, maximised IKEA's new product revenue (offline and online).
Revenue from newness products sales increased by +169%.
This made Trapped in the 90s become one of the brand’s most important communication milestones ever measured by IKEA Spain: sales soared to +149% in the first week of the campaign only.
Despite being a sales campaign in nature, the campaign played a far more significant role in the brand-building ROI than all of IKEA’s brand-building communication for the whole year combined.
WHY A GOLD EFFIE? Here's what the jurors said.
