• by Sarah Mahoney , Staff Writer, Yesterday

CMO Shideh Hashemi tells Retail Insider that the “Knock Your Socks Off” campaign, which also includes an extensive Spanish-language push, “Te Mueve El Piso,” is meant to celebrate the thrill of discovery. And while the sluggish real-estate market has many people feeling trapped in their current home, the new work aims to convey the excitement of finding something unexpected and affordable, whether some seasonal throw pillows or new kitchen cabinets.

“The American dream is evolving,” Hashemi says. “It's very individual, and everybody approaches it in their own way.” The new work fits into the ongoing “Dream the Possibilities” positioning, reminding people that “they can have their own vision, and also their own budget, to achieve their dream home.” And it underscores the idea that dreams can be built one piece at a time.

The new work also highlights Ikea’s constantly expanding range, with hundreds of new products, colors and designs. The campaign breaks as people think about spending more time indoors, “and we are finding that people are prepping earlier and earlier for the holidays,” Hashemi says.

Ads rely on the brand’s soft humor, which she describes as “that little twinkle in the eye:” Socks fly through the air in the English-language version, while shoppers swoon dreamily in the Spanish ads.

But the goal is much bigger. “This is a very significant campaign, and one of three major pushes we’ll introduce this year,” Hashemi says. And while the retailer introduces new products continually, this work is timed to break with one of the four biggest product launch periods of the year. And the new broadcast campaign will be backed up by plenty of digital activations.

The English-language campaigns are from David New York, and the Spanish effort from Alma. The Pennsylvania-based retailer named both as creative agencies of record last year.

By showing products that spark inspiration, the campaign aims to elevate how people think about the Ikea brand. “We’re known for our trusted basics, especially around storage, with classics like Billy and Kallax bookcases,” Hashemi says. “But there's so much more that we offer throughout the year, and we want to help people discover new possibilities.”

Hashemi herself is still in love with her grey-blue Kivik couch, bought years ago to replace a much fancier brand. “I sleep better on this sofa than I do in my own bed.”

And while Ikea has always stood for value and affordability, the current housing plight of many Americans is very much on this CMO’s mind. “Even though the housing market is slow, we know one of the biggest category entry points for furniture and home furnishings is simple seasonal refreshes. We’re reminding people they can still find ways to refresh on a budget that they can afford,” she says. “We’ve always been for the many, so affordability is a nonstarter.”

That means Ikea traditionally does well with younger consumers -- and the company still does a brisk trade with dorm dwellers and young families. “But this K-shaped economy has different dynamics,” she says, with Ikea increasingly appealing to people at higher income levels but who are still feeling squeezed. Besides, she notes, no matter how low their bank accounts are, “people are always looking for more storage and better organization.”

The effort is intended to do more than increase sales, and the company will closely track store visits, omnichannel traffic, awareness and consideration. Adds Hashemi: “We’re trying to move a mindset around positioning and get people thinking about the brand in a different way.”