IKEA’s loyalty program, IKEA Family, is free and easy to join, but with the proliferation of loyalty plays on offer from brands, IKEA Family was at risk of becoming just another program filling up people’s inboxes with unopened emails.

With an abundance of loyalty offers spruiking the same points and discounts, how do we stand out with a value exchange that only IKEA can offer?

With tight budget constraints, the brief needed to focus on retaining our most loyal (and valuable) IKEA Family base, whilst ideally compelling a broader audience.

To get IKEA Family back onto people’s radars, we needed an idea impossible to ignore and too irresistible not to share, so ultimately, we could deepen brand engagement, further encourage sign ups and have more members swiping their IKEA Family card with every shop.

Everyone loves IKEA’s iconic Swedish meatballs. So when we needed to promote IKEA’s loyalty program, IKEA Family, we knew exactly how to get people talking, by using the power of meatballs. Introducing, The BallerCard by IKEA Family, a fully gold card unlocking an unrivalled culinary experience: a year’s supply of IKEA’s Swedish Meatballs (or veggie balls).

Only 250 BallerCards were created, and only IKEA Family members were in with a chance to own one. BallerCards were delivered to IKEA Family’s most loyal members in premium, meatball-scented packaging that exuded opulence and luxury. The experience was so baller we didn’t need a big media budget to get people talking. Ballers promoted the card for us – posting the ballin’ perks of being an IKEA Family member all over the internet.

To rekindle the allure of IKEA Family on a limited budget, we identified 250 IKEA Family megafans and sought to reward them so they would feel appreciated and remain keen loyalists, and importantly, would feel so surprised and delighted they’d share the perks of joining IKEA Family with the world.

Digging deeper, we discovered they had something in common - they’d enjoyed eating at the IKEA Swedish restaurant over the past year. Further social listening confirmed our fans don't just flock to IKEA for flatpack furniture, they also come because they’re obsessed with our iconic Swedish meatballs (plus the chicken, veggie and plant options).

We created 250 BallerCards, fully gold cards unlocking a year’s supply of free meatballs. BallerCards were delivered in bespoke, meat-ball scented packaging, launching to media, and the world, with a film that added charm and excitement to this exclusive card’s launch.

Ballers were invited to enjoy free Swedish meat, chicken, veggie or plant balls for an entire year (10/22 - 10/23) at the IKEA in-store restaurant. 250 BallerCards were sent out to IKEA Australia’s Family members, arriving in premium, meatball scented packaging between 30/09/22 – 04/10/22. Prior to this a teaser eDM was sent out to members, on 12/09/22, letting them know something special was on the way. Once the cards had been delivered, The BallerCard was launched to the world on 05/10/22 with media PR outreach and an organic social post on IKEA Australia’s Instagram and Facebook.

Since launch we’ve seen ballin’ results. By giving out just 250 BallerCards, our earned media and engagement levels proved BallerCards are an exclusive marvel.

- For the campaign, IKEA Australia's Facebook engagement levels were 220% of IKEA benchmarks.

- Prompting a 204% search volume for ‘IKEA Family’ vs. previous year.

- Further securing earned coverage from 24 across major lifestyle outlets both locally - with further global pickup, with a combined reach of 4.1million.

- BallerCard owners proudly posted their baller status to their own networks, creating 250 unpaid IKEA Family ambassadors from the one ballin’ experience.

- BallerCards succeeded in making 250 IKEA Family members feel like the Ballers they are, and a grand total of 104,000 free Swedish meatballs devoured.

- IKEA even received one handwritten thank you note from a BallerCard recipient.

- Other IKEA markets looking to replicate and launch the BallerCard in their local markets.