Dive Brief:
- Furniture retailer Ikea is extending its "Save Our Sleep" campaign into National Sleep Awareness Month this March, according to details shared with Marketing Dive. The effort includes videos, influencer partnerships, in-store activations and Giphy social media elements.
- A series of video ads make a humorous nod to the lengths people go to get rest, including sticking a pillow in the freezer to keep it cool. The videos, created with agency partner Ogilvy, debut on Feb. 28 on connected TV and social media. A sleep-focused social activation with Fullscreen features influencers Sam Tsui and Casey Breves, who will share sleep tips. Winners of a sweepstakes with Fooji will have sleep-related products delivered to them.
- Additionally, the company worked with agency Wavemaker and Giphy to create an Ikea bedroom-themed sticker pack, individual GIFs and a one-day takeover of Giphy's trending page. Ikea is hosting sleepovers on March 13, World Sleep Day, at locations in California and New York that will include a variety of activities.
Dive Insight:
With many consumers suffering from a lack of sleep, Ikea is taking its "Save Our Sleep" platform to a new level to boost its bedroom offerings, which were an important sales driver in 2019. The new multichannel marketing effort checks off many of the tactics popular for targeting millennials — including experiential activations, social media content and home delivery — at a time when the chain's e-commerce sales are growing.
The Giphy partnership is designed to help Ikea reach a younger audience with short, entertaining content to share online. Social media influencers remain an important way to engage younger consumers, which is reflected in Ikea's partnership with musicians Sam Tsui and Casey Breves, who combine humor and lullabies with practical tips to help people fall sleep.
Hosting in-store sleepovers could help the brand get people into its brick-and-mortar locations, as some people still prefer to purchase in stores after browsing online. The events will include games and workshops from sleep experts to drive engagement.
Sleep has been a go-to theme for Ikea's marketing efforts of late. Last summer, it partnered with National Geographic for a humorous faux documentary-style TV spot and four online videos to promote better sleep. The "Planet Sleep" 15- and 30-second ads highlighted a "bedroom sanctuary" where endangered sleep can be saved through solutions like a new lower-priced mattress and ergonomic pillows. The campaign included online videos with shoppable links.
