2024 Creativity Awards, Print/Design/Out-of-Home Campaign of the Year: Ikea ‘Proudly Second Best’

Not many brands truly step out of the way and let the consumer be the hero. Most are enamored with their messaging, with their products, with making an impression and not seemingly second best at anything. See all of Ad Age’s 2024 Creativity Award winners here Ikea’s “Proudly Second Best” campaign was a refreshing exception. In a series of print and video ads from David Madrid and Ingo Hamburg, the furniture retailer acknowledged that its products for kids—cribs, highchairs, step stools—will never replace what parents themselves provide. In one execution, the Ikea crib sits unused in the background while a child sleeps on Mom. In another, a boy sits on Dad’s lap to eat instead of in his highchair. In a third, a girl uses Mom as a step stool, bypassing Ikea’s version. The campaign was created for Ikea Al-Futtaim, which encompasses Egypt, Oman, Qatar and United Arab Emirates markets. For its humility, simplicity, powerful insight and impressive craft, the Ikea work has won Print/Design/Out-of-Home Campaign of the Year at the 2024 Creativity Awards. It was also named Campaign of the Year. “I love that it’s the brand taking second place and really honoring parents and pointing out how hard their job really is,” said one Creativity Awards juror. “It was a smart strategic decision to play second fiddle to the real hero.” “Humility is a value that lives in the heart of our brand,” said Carla Klumpenaar, marketing general manager at Al-Futtaim Ikea, when the campaign broke. “Placing parents as the first choice for their children reflects this core belief. It doesn't matter if we are second only to the parents, we are actually proud of it. Through this campaign, we hope to spread this brand value and celebrate parenthood across several channels.” See all of Ad Age’s 2024 Creativity Award winners here

Ikea triumphed with a sweet, simple tribute to parents over products

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