Who would voluntarily stick advertising on their window? No one. But with a clever campaign, Ikea Sweden has managed to persuade consumers to turn their windows into out-of-home surfaces.
In early September, Ikea Sweden invited people to apply to be “Sleepfluencers.” The deal was that applicants would receive a free blackout roller blind, which perfectly fulfilled its purpose of keeping the light out of the bedroom in Sweden’s daylight-heavy summer. However, the back of the blind featured advertisements for Ikea mattresses, pillows, and duvets. Cleverly, Ikea didn’t label it as advertising; instead, they added a sense of exclusivity to the campaign by building with the call to action “We help you reach more people in your sleep.”
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People are known to do more for a freebie than just some subtle advertising, as shown by a recent EM campaign from Check24. They sent out free Germany jerseys from Puma that prominently displayed the Check24 logo. In this case, the consumers even chose to wear the ad themselves during the Euro 2024, not only promoting Check24 in public spaces but also giving away their data.
Ikea, however, is thinking more long-term with its campaign. A roller blind doesn’t have a seasonal expiration date. Ikea is also promoting its own product—the “Fridans” roller blind—rather than ordering merchandise from a third-party manufacturer. The company also added the label “Sleepfluencer” to give the campaign a sense of purpose. Plus, Ikea has opened hundreds of new out-of-home advertising spaces. The company also added the label “Sleepfluencer” to give the campaign a sense of purpose. Plus, Ikea has managed to access hundreds of new out-of-home advertising spaces.
The campaign was developed in collaboration with Ikea’s long-time agency, Åkestam Holst Noa. Although it was limited to the Swedish market, it gained attention online across Europe, which tends to happen with clever out-of-home campaigns.
