Ikea Magazine Advertisements

Background:  ngvar Kamprad founded Ikea in 1943, which started out as a mail-service company, selling and delivering small catalogue items such as pens, frames and jewelry. The company expanded in 1948, when Kamprad teamed up with local furniture manufacturers.  Throughout the 50’s to 80’s Ikea expanded their catalogue while expanding throughout Europe and venturing overseas.

Key Facts: Ikea is a showroom and warehouse within the same building. Shoppers can pick what they like and head downstairs to purchase their items. The furniture sets are sold disassembled, waiting in boxes to be taken home and put together. By cutting out the cost of assembly, Ikea is able to keep their prices low. Since most of Ikea’s furniture is sold in separate pieces, customers can customize each part of their furniture.

Consumer Barriers:

• Ikea’s instruction manuals do not have words to make their instructions universally understood. Some find difficulty assembling furniture according to the illustrations in the manual.

• Ikea furniture is also believed to be cheap, poorly made furniture meant for college dorms and bachelor pads.

Creative Objective:

• The campaign should emphasize the versatility of Ikea furniture. Ikea furniture is not only for dorms and bachelors, but also includes a catalog of furniture that transition into family homes.

• Convey that Ikea furniture is easy to assemble.

Approach and Tone: The campaign should be bright, colorful, and convey simplicity.

Key Consumer Insight: Purchasing furniture from Ikea will make a chic home without the heavy price tag. An Ikea furnished house will look like a house straight out of a magazine catalog.

Target Audience:

• Demographics - Young families (ages 20-40) with children (ages 3-13), lower to middle class

• Psychographics:

  • Independent

  • “Do-it-yourself” attitudes

  • First time homeowners

Mandatories: Promote unity within the family. “Build together” is the call to action to get families to build, play, and grow together.