Why IKEA Canada Invited People to Take a Holiday from the Holidays
While for many, the winter holiday season is a time of immense joy, mirth and merriment, undeniably, it's a double-edged sword. After all, family events and social gatherings can be draining. There’s so much pressure to put on one’s best face, whether attending an epic party where everything needs to be flawless, hosting and cooking a holiday meal, or simply trying to entertain the masses. And of course, no matter who you are, having that many people in any given space can just be inherently overwhelming.
So, to demonstrate that it fully understood just how this feels, IKEA Canada saw the opportunity to launch a spirited holiday campaign. Working alongside creative agency Rethink, the two showcased how IKEA can make these tricky times simpler by setting up little locations and moments of quiet for those who need it most, right within the comfort of their own homes. Anchored by a fun film, set to Tiffany’s iconic cover of ‘I Think We’re Alone Now’, the creative displays people taking much-needed breaks from various festivities - hiding in the likes of guestrooms, bedrooms and bathrooms, all of which have been furnished by IKEA.
So, to learn more about how this came to life, LBB’s Josh Neufeldt sat down with Rethink partner, group creative director, Robbie Percy, and IKEA Canada’s head of marketing, Jonelle Ricketts.
LBB> Creating a holiday campaign is no small task! As such, what was the brief?
Robbie> The brief from IKEA was a great one: do something different. These days, it feels like every holiday ad is telling a heartwarming story about the joy of coming together, so IKEA wanted to take a more honest look at the season and show people that they ‘get’ what the holidays are actually like.
Jonelle> With these types of storytelling campaigns, we are always trying to build top-of-mind awareness, brand desire and increase penetration. Visitation to our stores and online is also a bonus! Aside from our typical brand KPIs, we really wanted to develop a campaign that could show that IKEA truly understands how Canadians feel during this stressful time of year, and how IKEA can play a role in making the holidays a little easier. We also hope this campaign brings a smile to your face and creates conversation about this universal insight.
LBB> Specifically, the idea of taking a holiday from the holidays is very clever! What made this the right creative approach for the brand at this specific time?
Robbie> The holidays are stressful! Even if you’re the most festive person in the world, you still need a break from it all. As we were working on this idea, pretty much every single person we shared it with would say ‘oh my god, that’s so me!’. So going in, we had a pretty good sense it was going to resonate.
Jonelle> We had a lot of conversations about the joys and stresses Canadians face around the holiday season – no matter how you celebrate or who you celebrate with. As we continued to explore insights around this busy time of year, there was one thing that kept rising to the surface. Although many Canadians enjoy celebrating the season with family, friends, co-workers and neighbours, it can be A LOT! Even in the midst of those celebrations, you sometimes need to take a few moments to yourself. We know IKEA plays an important role in bringing your home to life (and your celebrations), so we wanted to show how IKEA can be part of those little stolen moments throughout the holiday season.
We also had a desire to break through the clutter of the holiday season ads and do something a little different that would resonate with Canadians. The more we shared this idea, the more we realised how universal this feeling was, so we knew we were on to something!
LBB> What was the ideation process like? Throughout the writing process, how did you ensure that IKEA would be amply noticed, while also avoiding distracting from the theme of ‘a holiday from a holiday’?
Robbie> They say ‘write what you know’, so that’s what we did. We honestly just talked a lot about all the places we had hidden at various parties over the years and that pretty much became the spot. All the beautiful spaces are obviously filled with IKEA [furniture], but we were very intentional that the products we highlighted were helping to tell the story and enabling the characters to take that break.
Jonelle> The original script was heavily focused on people making their escape from a party in various bathrooms. However, there was a desire to highlight other areas of the home as well, so the story evolved from there. The final vignettes depict people taking a break in various rooms furnished with IKEA solutions – from the grandma tuning out the grandkids doing karaoke in an armchair with help from headphones, to our hero character flopping on a guest room bed in sheer bliss (which also doubles as a closet for guests’ coats).
Ensuring that IKEA’s role came through clearly without sacrificing the integrity of the story was definitely a balancing act. We took a new approach with this campaign and positioned IKEA as a holiday helper that enables you to both create a festive home and to take a holiday from the holidays. This approach, coupled with cameos of FRAKTA bags, flatpack boxes, and iconic products, helped to make it clear that IKEA plays an important role in your holiday celebrations.
LBB> Building on this, how did you work together to design sets that showed off IKEA’s furniture, but also captured the spirit of the holidays?
Jonelle> This spot is distinct from past holiday spots because most of the action takes place in areas of the home that wouldn’t typically be decorated for the holidays – wherever people are taking a break from it all. So, the festive feeling is more subtle, but it shines through in things like wardrobe choices, a bed covered in guests’ coats, and of course, a quintessentially Canadian flurry of snow.
For the holiday party space shown at the beginning and end, our incredible designers from IKEA and Rethink worked together to create a festive atmosphere without being over the top. IKEA sells a range of holiday items with a Swedish flair, so a selection of those were incorporated into the décor. String lights and garlands go a long way, too!
Lastly, our three hero products – an ‘ALMTJÄRN’ bathmat, a ‘DALFRED’ stool, and a ‘HEMNES’ bed were chosen because they show exactly how IKEA helps the characters to take a holiday from the holidays. For example, we’ve all experienced the sense of relief from taking off uncomfortable shoes, and can imagine how good it would feel to wiggle our toes against a fluffy IKEA bath mat. And as a bonus, all of these products are quite affordable, which is especially important at a time when Canadians are feeling such strong economic pressure. IKEA plays an important role in offering affordable, quality solutions to truly bring your home to life!
LBB> On the subject of shooting, what made Rachel Morrison the right director for the job? And what was working with her like?
Robbie> Rachel rules. She’s made some of our favourite ads and TV shows and movies, so it was a dream getting to work with her. Her background as an award-winning DP is definitely a massive asset, and it shows in the final product. Everything she touches looks incredible.
LBB> Tell us about the shooting process as a whole! How did you capture both the energy and the stress of the holidays, and do you have any anecdotes from on set?
Robbie> We shot for two days locally in Toronto. The funny thing about shooting a holiday spot in Toronto is that you have to do it in September when it’s actually quite hot and not very holiday-feeling at all. That said, there was a lot of snowmaking magic on set which honestly made the whole vibe during the shoot really nice, cozy and festive, even on what was actually a hot summer day.
Apart from the sets and performances, a really big part of bringing to life that energy was sound design. Jared Kuemper at Berkeley Music in Toronto did an amazing job of making every holiday party scene feel super authentic and also like something you needed to get away from immediately.
LBB> Speaking of sound design, obviously, the soundtrack is killer! What made this the right choice for the job, and as a whole, how did the spot come together in post?
Robbie> This is probably one of the only times where the song we talked about when we first had the idea ended up being the actual song on the final spot. We did consider other songs but, as you can imagine, none of them hit like Tiffany.
As for the edit, something we talked about a lot was needing to show the chaos of the holidays in order to enjoy the moments of escapism. Our editor, Graham Chisolm at Nimiopere, did a really great job pulling the piece together in a way that really lets you feel that sense of relief.
LBB> What challenges have you faced during this project? How did you overcome them?
Jonelle> IKEA has ambitious goals and a long journey to undergo when it comes to reflecting diversity and inclusion in all our campaigns, but it’s an important priority for us. The challenge is to show that diversity and inclusion in an authentic, meaningful way that isn't forced. This meant that we had representation on screen by casting talent from various backgrounds and all levels of diversity, including ability. But beyond talent, we also decided to show a variety of homes, living situations, and lifestyles, to ensure that we reflected the diversity in the communities we serve.
It’s also important to look at who’s working behind the scenes. We’re trying to provide as many opportunities as possible for our production and post-production crews. Diversity and inclusion is just as important behind the camera. Making this happen required a lot of deliberate conversations about how we wanted to make this happen, across all partners involved with the project. We’re very grateful that Rethink and our other partners were as committed to this as we were.
LBB> What lessons have you learned in the making of this campaign?
Jonelle> With every campaign we develop, we always walk away with a few lessons - sometimes reinforcing things we’ve learned from the past, and other times we learn something completely new. Here are just a few of those lessons…
Lesson 1 - Sweat the music choice:
As marketers, I think we all know the important role music plays in developing creative like this, but it can be so hard to find the right piece of music. In our case, Rethink recommended using Tiffany’s cover of ‘I Think We’re Alone Now’ right from the very beginning. We wanted to stay away from traditional holiday music and do something a little different. So, as we continued our creative development process, we realised that the song was absolutely perfect and it created an extra unexpected layer of context to bring the spot to life (and a little humour). We did an exploration for a French song as well for our Quebec market and we were able to secure a French cover of the song as well.
Lesson 2 - Aligning on vision/expectations is key:
We knew we had a great insight to base the campaign on that felt universal for so many people, but making it come to life on screen can be another story. We wanted to ensure that the spot felt relatable, but still conveyed the joy of celebrating during the holiday season. We had a lot of discussions with the Rethink team about our vision for this, which also matched theirs. We wanted to ensure it was clear that spending time with loved ones during the holiday season, no matter how you celebrate or who you celebrate with, can be wonderful. But at the same time, we wanted to clearly show that even if you love celebrating together, it’s ok to give yourself a little break. We really wanted to ensure this didn’t come across as being a negative thing – we all need a moment to ourselves in the midst of the chaos the holidays can bring.
LBB> What has the response to the campaign been like?
Jonelle> We wanted this campaign to resonate with Canadians and make them feel seen, and so far, it seems to be working. It’s been great hearing people talk about how relatable the campaign is! After the pandemic, families and friends are still trying to figure out what celebrating looks like. And as much as we enjoy seeing people we love, the season can be hard, especially for introverts. You need to take a moment to breathe, and we want to show that IKEA understands that.
LBB> Finally, has this campaign inspired you to take a holiday from the holidays?
Robbie> Definitely! Although now that everyone’s seen the spot, everyone’s going to know exactly what we’re up to…
Jonelle> Absolutely! As an introvert, it’s something I already do regularly… and now I don’t feel so alone in my need to do this. I love spending time with my friends, family, co-workers and neighbours during the holiday season, but it can be a lot! Finding those small moments for myself is key, so I can be my best self and live in the moment. And of course, having IKEA solutions around me during those small moments I need to step away brings me joy.
