Learn from IKEA cinema catalogue

Check out IKEA’s unique way of announcing its 2010 catalogue: a creative detour of the rules for product placement in the movies. Ikea took advantage of the fact that their products are frequently (and accidentally) a part of the set. That said, the products blend so seamlessly with the environment, they’re not noticeable to movie viewers.

Before we go further, I’ll admit that this IKEA promotion annoyed some movie-goers. Let’s focus on the creative…

The promotion involved a montage of memorable film scenes that happened to include IKEA products in the set. The montage became a commercial that ran in advance of the feature at various theatres in areas where the demographics matched IKEA’s best customers. To draw attention to the products, IKEA agents sat in the audience and used portable slide projectors (a powerful flashlight with a lens attached) to project the name of the product and the price onto the scene, at the spot where the product appeared. Movie-goers were given catalogues as they exited the theatre.

So, when we see George Clooney in a kitchen, chopping carrots, and there’s a menacing close-up on the knife, we learn it’s a DISTINKT knife. When we see Brad Pitt dancing around a kitchen in Burn After Reading, we find out it uses FAKTUM cabinetry.

I cannot testify to its true origins of this creative but I can reverse engineer it to a creative thinking technique called “Wish List.” Here’s the how I imagine the IKEA brainstorming session…

The facilitator writes the challenge on a whiteboard: “Find ways to announce the new IKEA catalogue in memorable (media-worthy) ways while reinforcing our brand attributes.” (For more about building challenge statements, see Focus before brainstorming.)

Facilitator: So, you’ve seen our challenge statement. Write down a list of wishes; don’t worry about feasibility. If you think it would be cool to have the Rolling Stones play at every IKEA store around the globe, write that down.

Gerry: I finally rented “Burn after Reading” last night and there was product in every scene. Except no one sees it because they’re too busy watching Brad Pitt. So I wish every time product appeared there was a pop-up window that screamed: “Look! You can buy this at Ikea! It’s only a hundred bucks, or whatever.’” What a wasted opportunity; we don’t pay for product placement but we get it anyway – and we don’t use it.

Facilitator: Okay, Gerry has jumped in and given us the first wish. Gerry, restate it for me.

Gerry: What? I wish that every IKEA product in every movie be highlighted with a giant graphic? How’s that going to work?

Facilitator: You tell me… Here’s a more specific challenge statement: “Find ways to make moviegoers notice IKEA products in film and attach it to the launch of the new catalogue.”

The morale of the story: don’t discard wishes or fanciful ideas – there’s often a way to adapt them into a do-able idea!