In Italy 1 in 3 women has experienced domestic violence (6.788.000 women). Due to a strong close mentality background, Italy has an intense sense of decency and a strange idea of shame: "what happens at home must remain at home" is the common opinion. That's why 93% of cases of domestic violence are not reported and 33.9% of those who suffer violence from the partner do not talk to anyone.

We closed one of the IKEA's rooms with a wall and we placed inside it a special amplifier that spread the sound of real domestic violence stories provided by Telefono Donna. "The Room" was an in-store ambient media that gets IKEA customers to stop their in-store journey and live a touching experience, like they were the neighbour of a domestic violence victim. A message on the wall said: "Violence is closer than you think, sometimes there's just a wall between you and it.". A call to action invited customers to support and discover Telefono Donna.

Implementation: A week before 25th November we create the media art, we filmed the reaction of the customers involved and we shared the video. The media art consisted of a wall created to close a room of the IKEA store. Inside it, special speakers played the audio recordings that recreated the true stories of domestic violence told by their victims to Telefono Donna. Meanwhile, at scheduled times, we set with Telefono Donna several theatrical performances of real domestic violence stories offering a direct number for a psychological support to the people involved.

Timeline: 20th of November: media art on air and social video publishing. From 20th to 25th of November: media art and theatrical performances in 23 stores. Digital influencer activation. 25th of November: PR events.

Placement: A room for each of the 23 Italian Ikea stores

Scale: 30 square meters X 23 stores

62 million people reached

2,3 million views online

90k social interactions

237 media mentions

6k customers engaged

Thanks to the campaign's responses IKEA has been invited to talk at the official press conference organized by the Italian Parliament to announce the new social policies of the government against violence on women. In that circumstance "The room" has been showed as a best practice of a brand's commitment to a social cause.

Target audience: The primary target was IKEA's customers (18 million Italians visit a IKEA store every year) with a focus on women. The secondary target was all Italian women including stakeholders, opinion leaders and medias.

Approach: We started from the store experience, we filmed it and we shared on IKEA's social network. Meanwhile, we organized several in-store events to support the media art and to create PR opportunities. We also involved some of the most influencing Italian women to live and share the experience.

Brief: For the International Day of the Elimination of Violence against Women, the 25th of November, IKEA wanted to take a strong stand against this issue.

Objectives: Become the most active brand on the topic, claiming IKEA's role as top of mind brand in the home area. Aware Italian IKEA's stores visitors (18 million/year) about this shocking truth, offering a solution thanks to the collaboration with the non-profit organization "Telefono Donna".