IKEA’s most sustainable store was set to open in Greenwich, London. The brief was to raise awareness of the new store in a way that showed IKEA’s commitment to creating a wonderful home for all whilst helping to build the brand’s sustainability credentials. The objective was to create interest and awareness around the new store, while also bringing to life the beliefs behind the brand: that everyone deserves a wonderful home and that our environment is a precious thing that should be protected and conserved.

Wildlife in London is under increasing threat from intense urbanisation. Many animals are being driven out of their homes and have nowhere to live. To bring to life IKEA’s belief that everyone deserves a wonderful home, we decided to create safe and beautiful homes for these animal friends. We created a series of weird and wonderful homes for birds, bees, bats and other local wildlife, using upcycled IKEA furniture. Each home was designed by a different artist, architect or designer. And created with expert advice from wildlife experts. A digital map guided our audience on a walking tour of the homes.

Our target audience was primarily residents of South London (the catchment area for the Greenwich store). Our strategy was to create an attention-grabbing and engaging experience that would show IKEA’s commitment to creating a wonderful home for all and showcase the brand’s sustainability credentials. Underlying this approach was IKEA’s belief in “do, don’t say” – it’s far stronger to do something that actually demonstrates our commitment than it is to simply talk about it.

We briefed artists, designers and architects to design the homes, consulting closely with seasoned wildlife experts to ensure they were safe and suitable for the animals. The homes were then built with the help of a construction team and installed in green spaces throughout Greenwich. They are now a permanent fixture - they’ll remain in their locations for a minimum of three years with regular maintenance and upkeep. So our animal friends can use them as permanent homes and our human friends can continue to admire them.

IKEA Wildhomes for Wildlife appeared in hundreds of articles in the London and UK press, plus a good selection of international culture and design titles. IKEA Greenwich has become one of the most successful store launches for IKEA. On opening morning, over 1,500 people were already queuing to shop