Category: Retail and E-Commerce, including Restaurants
Advertiser: IKEA
Product/Service: IKEA
Media Agency: MPGMC, London, UNITED KINGDOM
Managing Partner: Jim Dowling (Cake (HS&E))
Account Director: Nick Henderson (Cake (HS&E))
Account Manager: Steve Cater (Cake (HS&E))
Associate Board Director: Jodie Butt (Cake (HS&E))
Account Manager: Sarah Manktelow (Cake (HS&E))
Account Manager: Laura Allen (Cake (HS&E))
Senior Account Executive: Emma Jones (Cake (HS&E))
Account Executive: Sam Bateman (Cake (HS&E))
Country PR And Internal Communications Manager: Lois Blenkinsop (Ikea)
PR And Internal Communications Manager: Viky Anderson (Ikea)
PR And Internal Communications Manager: Lewis Marshall (Ikea)
Media placement: Social Media Campaign - YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Online Media - 18th August 2011
Media placement: PR Campaign - National, Regional And International Print, Broadcast And Online Media - 18th August 2011
Insights, Strategy & the Idea
IKEA is one of the biggest furniture retailers in the UK, operating through both retail stores and an online shop. We must drive consideration for IKEA bedroom products, encouraging consumers to see the store as a place that can not only help you find the essential pieces of furniture you need for your new bedroom, but can guide you every step of the way along the design and furnishing process to help create your ideal haven in order to go “happy to bed”.
Most people tend to visit a furniture bedroom retailer – on or offline - only when the wardrobe breaks, or a new bed is needed. The Reason: people in the UK are too embarrassed to properly test out a mattress in-store.
Creative Execution
We scoured the internet and uncovered a Facebook group entitled “I wanna have a sleepover at IKEA,” which sparked the idea of staging “IKEA’s Big Sleepover,” giving 100 consumers - selected via a Facebook competition, the chance to do just that – spend the night in an actual IKEA store.
The winners – complete with PJs, toothbrushes and teddy bears – were invited to the IKEA Lakeside store. Once inside for the night, they were treated to relaxing massages, manicures, bedtime stories and warm drinks. To complete the ultimate sleepover, sleep experts were available to answer questions and IKEA mattress professionals showed them how to select the perfect bed and linens. Once everyone had their perfect mattress, we showed a film – complete with popcorn – and said goodnight at 11 p.m.
A fully integrated PR plan amplified the campaign across print, online broadcast and social media (Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr).
Results and Effectiveness
• "Bedroom products": the most popular products on IKEA's online store (source: IKEA.com).
• IKEA Lakeside sells the most bedroom furniture over any other IKEA – it’s #1 for year-on-year sales growth
• 32,000 views, had a reach of 23,852 on Facebook and nearly 500 people applied for a chance to take part in the sleepover - in just one week
• 100,000 consumers used the online 3D bedroom application
• 330 pieces of coverage, including features in national publications and regional: Daily Mirror, TheTimes, Metro, Time Out, OK, Express, Star, BelfastTelegraph;
• Radio: BBC and websites such as The Sun Online, Huffington Post, Yahoo! and Trendhunter