IKEA’s Ad for Parents

It’s a furniture ad, but no one’s using the furniture.

In one ad, you can see the SMÅGÖRA crib and the price, but it’s in the background, and the child is sleeping on their parent’s chest. In another, the ANTILOP highchair goes unused while a parent feeds a child from their lap.

IKEA calls it the “Proudly Second Best” campaign.

The ads and videos show “popular IKEA products taking the backseat in celebration of the special bond between parents and children.”

Instead of calling out the benefits of the product, the ads highlight so much of what IKEA stands for – affordable, functional furniture. They align closely with its vision “to create a better everyday life for the many people.”

A Second-best Campaign

Second best is a provocative positioning play, with Avis as perhaps the most famous example. IKEA offers an interesting twist on that concept.

Lots of brands find ways to celebrate their audiences and potential customers. What makes this campaign stand out is how IKEA positions itself within that context.

The ads show IKEA as humble and acknowledging its role supporting parents and other customers.

Here’s Carla Klumpenaar, general manager, marketing, communication, HF and retail design at Al-Futtaim IKEA, on the campaign:

“Humility is a value that lives in the heart of our brand. Placing parents as the first choice for their children reflects this core belief. It doesn’t matter if we are second only to the parents – we are actually proud of it.”