• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, March 13, 2023

With furniture sales slowing, Ikea wants to remind people of just how many different ways there are to make a house feel homey. A new brand campaign themed “Affordable design. Endless possibilities” also highlights affordability.

The effort kicks off with a sweet spot called "The Giving Bag" from Ogilvy New York. Filmed by director Ewurakua Dawson-Amoah, it follows a young boy as he apprehensively moves into a new house. Furniture emerges to help his parents fill the house, room by room.

“The video is just the first element in our campaign,” says an Ikea spokesperson. “It highlights meaningful affordability and how we can help enable better everyday life at home.”

Ads are running on linear, spot and connected TV, more than a dozen cable channels, and digital and social activations. Stunts are planned for the coming months.

The retailer has also teamed up with digital partners. such as Conde Nast and Remezcla.

Macro-economic challenges years and increased concerns about sustainability “are top of mind for many people,” the spokesperson tells Marketing Daily via email. “And while this has always been core for our approach to life at home, we want to share that message.”

Industrywide, furniture sales have slowed from their pandemic hot streak and are expected to gain less than 1% this year.

Ikea U.S. has felt that slowdown, too. It recently announced annual results for 2022, reporting a slight increase in total sales to $5.9 billion “amidst rising costs and supply challenges.”

It drew 69 million visitors to stores and 494 million online visits online.

The retailer is continuing to position itself as a sustainable choice, even as Americans throw out more than 12 million tons of furniture each year, with the vast majority in landfills.

Last year, it expanded its Buy Back & Resell service to 37 stores, allowing loyalty members to sell back gently used IKEA furniture.

It also launched ultra-fast public EV charging stations at 25 locations and home solar solutions at select California stores.