Ikea gets things moving

Jungle Media was asked to help increase Ikea's Montreal store traffic and sales from the previous summer. Since the annual Ikea summer sale coincides with the July 1 moving day, when Quebecers all move at the same time, the company wanted to help by providing boxes.

The agency took it a step further, and turned the ordinary brown cardboard box into the central media vehicle behind the campaign.

The boxes became the creative, printed with moving tips, a checklist, a helpful dinner offer at the local Ikea for those who had yet to set up their kitchens and offers on new Ikea furniture.

Hung as wild postings all over town, the boxes were quickly snapped up (physically going viral), and revealed messaging underneath that told people to come back once the supply had been replenished. Passersby could also pick up a box from event teams located around the city, who stacked them to create 14-ft.-high pyramids. The one non-box driven element was the takeover of a top local radio station, programmed to play upbeat songs geared "to get you moving" all day.

More than 10,000 boxes were given away over two weeks as local media picked up on the offering, and news of the free Ikea boxes spread online.

Ikea store traffic increased 14% and sales climbed 37%. The campaign won Gold at the Media Innovation Awards, the Effie Awards and AToMIC Awards, as well as a Bronze Media Lion at Cannes.