How we turned a copycat into a viral campaign. With reactive marketing.
What if a big fashion house stole the look of IKEA's iconic blue plastic bag? Big win. What if we turned it into best practice for reactive marketing - twice? Even bigger win.
ACNE in 2017 for the client IKEA
3 x Cannes Lions, 2 x Lovie Awards, 3 x Clio Awards
The Insight
In the age of normcore and influencers, even high fashion designers look for cultural references in "normal" life. When Balenciaga released a new designer bag that looked a little too similar to IKEA's standard shopping bag, we knew: this could go viral. So we launched our own campaign using the existing wave of excitement, to promote IKEA's original style.
Our Impact
Are there ways to make everyone's favorite furniture brand even more popular? Yes, there are. As with every viral campaign, timing was crucial. Within 24 hours, our reaction to Balenciaga's copycat was out. And to make it even better, we also launched our own campaign, promoting OUR bag. With an intelligent twinkle in the eye.
An unexpected tribute
It could have been one of those moments when the internet has a quick laugh, then moves on to the next viral thing. A $2,145 designer bag that looks like the $0.99 IKEA bag? Thanks, but no thanks. We wanted to pay tribute to IKEA's most-sold product and make it the brand's unmistakable icon once and for all. It helped to have humour on our side – but also dozens of media outlets and bloggers that gave us a global push.
A viral campaign engaging press and bloggers
One thing was clear from the beginning: IKEA is known as one of the friendliest brands out there. Whereas fashion design brands tend to be perceived as the opposite. The perfect insight to start from.
Yes, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. But we wanted to make sure that no one mistakes the copy for the real thing: our blue FRAKTA bag with all its unique features, and the star of our very own fashion campaign. It got picked up by numerous fashion blogs and the world press including Vogue, Elle, Marie Claire, Harper's Bazaar but also CNN, The Guardian, NY Times, Fast Company - to only name a few.
A campaign video with perfect timing
First, we hit the viral nerve with our "How to identify an original IKEA FRAKTA bag" campaign. Only to then strike again. We were in the middle of producing a film about our most-sold product when its copycat appeared, so the timing could not have been better. Everyone talked about it. Again. Because even plastic bags can tell a great story.
A global push for branding with reactive marketing
What have we learned? IKEA bags are not just large and functional, they also have the potential to inspire high fashion. And we helped strengthen their sturdy character by launching a viral reactive marketing campaign within 24 hours, and following it up with our perfectly planned campaign video. Best practice for reactive marketing - and proof that there's nothing like a well-timed brand experience.
The Facts
1 billion unique media impressions
$10.436,964 earned media
3 025 139 interactions
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