The Most Helpful Measuring Tape in the World
IKEA
Issue 38 | March 2016
Agency
Leo Burnett Toronto
Creative Team
Chief Creative Officer Judy John Creative Director Lisa Greenberg Group Creative Directors Morgan Kurchak Karen Larmour Anthony Chelvanathan Steve Persico Copywriter Steve Persico Art Director Anthony Chelvanathan
Production Team
Agency Producer Anne Peck
Other Credits
SVP, General Manager David Kennedy Group Account Director Natasha Dagenais Account Director Danielle Iozzo Account Executive Rebecca Simon Planner Lisa Hart
Date
2015
Background
For 38 years, the delivery of the IKEA catalogue to tens of thousands of Canadian homes was a much-anticipated event.
However, while people expected to get the catalogue every fall, their excitement had dwindled.
The task was not simply to motivate people to visit their local IKEA store but because the catalogue was a proxy for the brand, the communication needed to support its values and inspire.
Idea
The campaign big idea was to position the catalogue as "The Most helpful Book In The World". Outdoor and digital set out to create awareness of and interest in the drop of the catalogue. But what else could encourage people to do more than flip through the book and actually use it as a manual?
Answer: the most helpful measuring tape in the world. Delivered with the book, and with relevant little messages printed onto the tape itself, it encouraged home-owners to start measuring up for their new furniture.
Results
The idea helped contribute to a highly successful campaign, which saw store sales increase by a whopping 13.5% compared to the previous year (almost 11% higher than the planned sales goal).
On social media, within one day, the measuring tape post helped to exceed the estimated retweets with an average reach of 41,000 and over 265,000 impressions on Facebook.
Our Thoughts
In the digital world, it is said that if a brand wants to engage, then it needs to offer its customers an experience which is delightful, usable or useful. The offline world can learn a thing or two from the practice. All too often, brands send/give their customers crap. C'mon, a cheap ballpoint pen is hardly a free gift.
The moment you do give people something relevant and usable, then gosh! It becomes useful and delightful too.
But it's not just the idea of giving a free tape measure that's nice. It's the little messages on the tape itself. Selling every inch of the way.