A Young Boy Helps a Grumbling Troll Bring His Home to Life with IKEA

'The Troll' is a two-minute film about a lonely troll and the boy who helps to brighten his life (with an assist from IKEA, of course). This is the next iteration of the IKEA Bring Home to Life platform, which launched in 2022, and focuses on unlocking our emotional connections to home and the life we live there.

In the film - shot in Slovenia, both on location at a bridge and in-studio too - we meet a grumbling troll who works as a toll booth collector and lives under a dark, damp bridge. When a young boy takes an interest in the troll and offers an IKEA lamp to brighten up his living space, things begin to change. Together, they transform the space into a bright and cosy home. In the end, it’s more than the Troll’s physical surroundings that have improved, as we see him go from a sad lonely troll to a happy one. And as the boy and the troll enjoy the comfortable space, the long-tormented villagers above are finally free to cross the troll’s bridge.

“We know through our annual Life at Home research that there’s a direct relationship between how our homes feel and how we feel,” said Johanna Andren, head of marketing at IKEA Canada. “With this campaign, we wanted to demonstrate how IKEA can influence that relationship between our home and wellbeing.”

“The story of the troll, while fantastical, is also grounded in a human truth that we can all relate to. Through the relationship between the caring boy and the grumpy troll, we see that with a little meaningful attention, we can transform our space, and our lives,” continued Johanna.

The film was directed by Nick Ball, and the troll was created by Czech puppet maker Martin Pec and brought to life using both animatronic and post elements.   

“Nick is such a talented world-builder,” said Robbie Percy, partner and creative director at Rethink. “From the toll booth to the design of the troll to creating his little home under the bridge, every detail was crafted and considered to create a stunning world and story that was both believable and beautiful.”

The campaign will be running in Canada and Australia, January to April 2023. In addition to the film, the campaign also includes OOH, in-store and social and digital elements.