Ikea is betting this weird object will be the most Instagrammed thing it ever makes

Retailer combined its most popular goods into one odd product

Published On
Jan 16, 2020

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Consumer data has been the go-to muse for brands' creative ideas, as seen in campaigns for Spotify, Google, OkCupid, Postmates and others. Now, it even inspired Ikea to make a new product. 

Riffing off what its fans have been sharing on Instagram, the Swedish retailer has released a created a curious new object: the Müpolash. 

Though Ikea doesn’t explain exactly what it’s useful for, it combines features of what the brand says are its most "Instagrammed" products—a mug, pot, lamp and shelf. 

The thinking behind the Belgian campaign from Ogilvy Social.Lab is this: if Ikea’s mugs, pots, lamps and shelves are getting a ton of traction on social media, then the Müpolash, whose name is a portmanteau of all those products, should be the “most Instagrammable thing ever made.” So contrary to the elegant utility that largely defines Ikea's lineup, this product, it seems, is simply gunning for the "likes."

To help boost the shares, Ikea also was strategic about production. The Müpolash comes in white—the most Instagrammed color. It's also environmentally-conscious, made of 100% biodegradable materials, and was crafted through 3D printing. (Perhaps all it needs to increase shareworthiness is the backing of a Kardashian.) 

As part of the campaign, Ikea has put a Müpolash on display at the Design Museum of Gent. Outside of that, it only created four others for the uber-limited-edition line. In order to get your hands on one, consumers have to use Ikea's Müpolash A.R. Instagram filter and take a beautiful shot of the thingamajig in their home, tagged with @IKEAbelgium and #monIKEA or #mijnIKEA. The retailer will award the analog versions to the creators of the best shots.