Dive Brief:

• Ikea is turning college moments into anime art with a new TikTok campaign aimed at Gen Z consumers, according to information shared with Marketing Dive.
• The campaign is made up of a series of “slice of life” anime clips showing college students finding joy in simple moments with the help of organization tools from the boxed-furniture retailer.
• The campaign was created in partnership with Ogilvy New York and studio Clubcamping. Keeping in line with anime traditions, an online manga featuring bios of the series’ diverse characters will also be published.

Dive Insight:

Ikea is highlighting its storage solutions ahead of the return to school with an artfully done slice of life series premiering on TikTok. Each short features a diverse cast of characters navigating life’s challenges with the help of Ikea’s organizational tools. College is known for its cramped living situations, and the TikTok series showcases how Ikea can help eliminate some of the stress.

The choice of using an anime speaks to the brand’s desire to court Gen Z consumers. Anime, which is popular among young people, has also been used by Acura to attract young premium drivers. The slice of life animes are intended to show the ins and outs of everyday life. They act as glimpses into the character’s world, highlighting the beauty and complexity of normalcy. By choosing this format for its most recent TikTok campaign, Ikea is showing how its products can be used in a practical way.

Each of the 45-second long clips is set to a lo-fi beat and asks consumers to “Find Your Slice of Life This Semester.” One follows a cat as it explores the dwellings of different students, climbing up art carts and barreling through kitchens before falling asleep, purring, in one of Ikea’s famous blue bags. Another showcases two roommates, one obsessed with plants and the other music, find balance in their small space instead of arguing. A third shows a student living in a crowded home, searching their house for a quiet place to study before finding tranquility with an Ikea desk set-up in the attic.

The feel-good shorts create an idealized, yet also familiar, image of student life. The Ikea products fit into the scenes seamlessly, yet are clearly identifiable. The manga will help to round out the story, allowing consumers to dive even deeper into the story. Having the campaign live largely on TikTok will also help to ensure it reaches its target audience of younger consumers searching for dorm products.

The campaign differs slightly from other back-to-school campaigns. While it is only mid-July, many brands are already looking to cash in on the season, which sees consumers dishing out billions of dollars on supplies. However, brands such as Amazon have chosen to put cost-savings at the center of their campaigns, while Ikea has chosen to highlight convenience. This could speak to the intended audience of the campaign, with Gen Z looking for the best ways to maximize space.