IKEA is launching a new marketing campaign in the UK this weekend called “The Wonderful Everyday,” which will explain the brand’s values and sustainability ethos to consumers, according to Marketing Week.
The first ads, which launch tomorrow (February 8), mark the Swedish retailer’s first sustainability-focused campaign. Created by Mother, the UK’s largest independent ad agency, the first TV and radio spots will focus on touting energy-saving LEDs as an alternative to incandescent lightbulbs, which IKEA has committed to phasing out by 2016.
“This is a sustainability campaign but also a brand campaign,” IKEA’s UK and Ireland marketing manager, Peter Wright, told MW. “We need to explain what we stand for and celebrate that.”
The first round of TV ads show a dark forest, which slowly becomes illuminated, tree by tree, with the voiceover saying: “By 2016 we will only sell energy-efficient LED lightbulbs. Sometimes small things can make a big difference.”
Wright told MW that the campaign is paying homage in part to the company’s roots in Smaland, Sweden, where people are “thrifty and resourceful” and sustainability is a natural way of life.
Wright said he believes now is the right time for IKEA to speak about its commitment to sustainability as people increasingly look for ways to reduce their energy consumption and bills. He claimed that by switching to LED light bulbs, the average household could see up to a 85 percent decline in that cost.
According to MW, the campaign will of course include a social media component, featuring tips on more sustainable living, with plans for a broader social media push later in the year.
This isn’t the first time the home-goods giant has encouraged more sustainable consumption: In October, IKEA launched its “Second Hand” campaign, which aimed to resell customers’ used IKEA furniture alongside new products through an online “flea market.” The campaign successfully sold every used piece that was selected to be a part of the program.
IKEA seems to be practicing what it’s about to preach with regard to more conscientious consumption: The company also announced earlier this week that it has expanded the use ofsustainably sourced cotton in its products to 72 percent, up from 34 percent in 2012.
