IKEA aimed to create cultural relevance throughout the year, particularly during key calendar moments, celebrating their mission to improve everyday life at home. Our brief was to craft a Valentine’s Day campaign that would foster brand affection and introduce a shareable idea for engagement on February 14th. Additionally, IKEA sought to dispel the misconception that our stores are locations prone to sparking arguments among couples in committed relationships.

Our objective was to design a campaign that positioned IKEA as a Valentine’s Day destination and reshaped the perception of our stores as environments that encourage and support couples in advancing their relationships and enhancing their lives at home together. Our budget for the campaign was under $25,000, allocated for a short run as an in-store experience and social activation, featuring exclusive limited-run products up for grabs.

We transformed our iconic hand tool, typically used to strengthen bonds while assembling furniture, into the ultimate symbol of love designed to strengthen bonds between loved ones. This bespoke-designed ring box snugly fits an Allen Key, symbolizing the desire to build a life together.

Our campaign targeted young romantics aged 21-55 who are ready to who are ready to get on one knee and ask their soulmate, “Will you move in with me?” Aptly named Vallen Key, this symbol of commitment is the perfect gift for the most romantic day of the year, Valentine’s Day. Ultimately, encouraging young couples to furnish their homes, and new lives, with IKEA’s essentials.

There is a misconception that IKEA causes couples to argue. In reality, IKEA brings relationships closer together. It’s often the first store couples visit when taking the next step – moving in together. Our strategic insight was to turn this around, especially on Valentine's Day, and giving to our consumers the ultimate symbol of love to propose with.

Much like our flatpacks, we designed the Vallen Key boxes with sustainability and durability in mind. Our inspiration was to create a premium product that mirrors the experience of opening an engagement jewellery box with a diamond ring inside. We used blue velvet on the outside combined with custom-made biodegradable material on the inside, perfectly fitted to accommodate an Allen Key. The inner lid was printed with the message ‘Will you move in with me?’, providing a pleasant surprise for the recipient upon opening.

All of this was presented in cardboard packaging inspired by our flatpacks, featuring subtle messages of love and the Valentine’s Day date cleverly integrated with the usual packaging details seen on our boxes. We also included an iconic IKEA instruction paper manual to guide you through the process of proposing on one knee.

The campaign was one of the most successful Valentine Day's campaigns run by IKEA - generating a substantial increase of footfall at the UAE stores on the day.

All of our limited Vallen Keys were picked up by lucky customers, and were in high demand.

34 proposals were made using the Vallen Key at the store.

We generated more than 20,000,000 impressions with an earned media value of $300,000, an incredible KPI on a campaign that cost under $25,000 to produce.