For decades, IKEA catalogues have been showing us how beautiful our homes could be. But recent research has shown that Norwegians don't feel seen in lifestyle ads. 48% of our target audience feel detached, claiming that glossy catalogues and furniture ads don't reflect their life at home. At the same time, we're in an economic climate that has made it even more important to prove the affordable value IKEA can provide.

With this new campaign, IKEA wanted to candidly acknowledge the gap between aspiration and reality. By boldly declaring that "Life is not an IKEA catalogue", IKEA sought to establish and strengthen brand loyalty and trust among Norwegian consumers, whilst demonstrating how their products are great value for money.

By candidly admitting that "Life is not an IKEA catalogue," IKEA demonstrated a keen understanding of the messiness and challenges of everyday life at home. In a "Life at Home" report conducted by IKEA, Norwegians were proven to respond better to honesty and authenticity over aspiring picture-perfect communication that they feel is detached from reality.

With this campaign, IKEA successfully repositioned itself as a brand that truly "got" the needs of its customers. By embracing and celebrating life's messy imperfections, we managed to be relatable and trustworthy for a critical audience - using brutally honest humour whilst championing smart affordability during a time people had smaller budgets. In the campaign period, IKEA managed to exceed the sales goal for the set period by 102%.

By proclaiming "Life is not an IKEA catalogue," IKEA shifted its brand image from aspirational to relatable. The ads caused national headlines as controversial for some, but gained massive support from the public as a backlash. IKEA was seen as a rare brand that understood the realities of everyday life. The campaign reaffirmed the customers loyalty and brand love for IKEA, resulting in the strongest results for brand appreciation of all IKEA ads ever tested in Norway.