Earth Hour is the biggest climate campaign in the world. IKEA Norway has been the main partner of WWF Earth Hour since its introduction in 2009. Since then the climate engagement in Norway was waning. In 2011, Earth Hour happened at the same time as the most important football match in Norway in decades. Our challenge was to find a way to renew the interest for Earth Hour in Norway, in a context where the climate engagement was dropping and the football match was grabbing all the attention.

Instead of competing with the football match, we used it as an opportunity to reach out. We developed The Climate Match, and challenged people to turn off the light to beat the Danes in 2 matches at once.

We developed The Climate Match on Facebook, making it easy turn of the lights on Facebook, for Norway or Denmark, and invite friends to do the same. We involved the 2 most important people in Norway when it comes to climate and football, Egil Olsen, national team coach, and Erik Solheim, Environment Minister, by challenging the Danes to turn off the light on Facebook. We got Morten Olsen, the Danish national team coach and the Danish Environment Minister to encourage the Danes.

1.9m Norwegians took part of a total population of 5m. 1/3 Norwegians says IKEA Norway takes responsibility for the climate - the same as the all-time best result in 2010. 1/5 Norwegians were aware of The Climate Match and IKEA’s contribution.

A campaign website was the platform for public engagement. The Climate Match on Facebook, made it easy turn of the lights on Facebook, for Norway or Denmark, and invite friends to do the same. We involved the 2 most important people in Norway when it comes to climate and football, Egil 'Drillo' Olsen, Norway’s national team coach, and Erik Solheim, Environment Minister, by launching the Climate Match at a press launch, where they challenged the Danes to turn off the lights and watch the football match in the dark.

We got Morten Olsen, the Danish national team coach and the Danish Environment Minister to encourage the Danes. This resulted in national media coverage in Denmark, which we again used to create new attention in Norway.The campaign site showed the position, right down to municipal level, and acted as a tool for national, regional and local PR stories.

The most important winner was Earth Hour and the environment. 1.9m Norwegians took part of a total population of 5m. Norway clearly won the climate match. The football match, on the other hand, didn’t go so well: 1-1.

IKEA also profited. Over 25,000 energy saving light bulbs were sold in 2 weeks. 1/3 Norwegians says IKEA Norway takes responsibility for the climate through action - the same as the all time best result in 2010. 1/5 Norwegians were aware of The Climate Match and IKEA’s contribution.

The Climate Match was also reported in over 200 media. 70% of IKEA employees turned off their lights, over 30% above the national average. 87% of employees knew that IKEA is WWF’s main partner. 83% are to a great/very great extent proud to work for IKEA due to the work within the environment; social responsibility saw an increase of 12% from 2010.