Ikea spells out its commitments in new brand campaign for U.S. market

In Ikea’s new brand campaign, its commitments—to sustainability, inclusivity and innovation—are as crystal clear as the glass doors on its popular Billy cabinets. The Swedish retailer is rolling out a new push to reintroduce itself to the U.S market. Called “Why We Make,” the campaign, created with Ogilvy, includes a 60-second spot directed by Olivier Gondry. As usual, the commercial showcases Ikea products, but also highlights the corporate decisions the furniture brand has made, such as planting more trees to replace those it has used, and making sure employees are from a diverse range of ethnicities. “The better the choices we make in here, the better off we’ll all be out there,” says a voiceover, encouraging consumers to “Make the dream yours.” These commitments are not new for Ikea, which has been vocal for years about such choices. Two years ago, the brand promised to use only renewable and recycled materials in its products by 2030. The company has also been rolling out smaller-format stores with space-saving products, such as a shop in Manhattan, and a store in Vienna that includes trees instead of parking spaces. Yet the push comes at a time when consumers, and the younger generations who frequent Ikea in particular, are paying more attention to what brands are promising. Activists like Greta Thunberg are shining a spotlight on such commitments. "The work is about us. But it's also about our customers. We're trying to make things that people can feel good about," said Shideh Hashemi, country marketing manager at Ikea USA, in a statement about the new campaign. Last year, Ikea reported a 5 percent rise in retail sales to 36.7 billion euros. The brand’s parent company Ingka recently announced a minority investment in Optoro, a provider of returns technology, which it expects will improve its supply chain to produce less waste. Ikea has also been attempting more sustainability in its marketing. Two years ago, a new brand campaign in the U.S. included fewer catalogs and more digital content. The new campaign debuts this week. It will run across national channels as well as on connected TV and social networks.

Ikea spells out its commitments in new brand campaign for U.S. market

Featured Stories