case studies

Winning IKEA sustainability campaign

Words by: Print Power

Most brands would balk at highlighting how much of what they produce goes into landfill. But never one to shy away from contentious issues, IKEA did just that to highlight the importance of reusing.

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The problem? While IKEA is constantly pushing its values of sustainability, customers perceived their furniture as disposable. And with shocking stats showing that in Norway alone, over 3 million pieces of furniture ended up in landfill, they knew they needed a message to drill home this grim reality.

So they created The Trash Collection – an upcycled range of products made out of actual IKEA trash. The brutally honest print campaign showed landfill alongside the new collection. The ad copy linked to an online page telling customers how to take better care of their IKEA furniture. Brave, effective and classic IKEA.

What’s really bold is that IKEA acknowledges being part of a bigger environmental problem and so is creating a sustainability programme. Pointing fingers at themselves instead of others makes IKEA a sympathetic, likeable, and socially aware brand. We like!

Jens Waernes

Cannes Lions Jury member/MD Creation Scholz & Friends