IKEA Lamp.
We won the Ikea account based on the insight that for some strange reason, people refuse to part ways with their old furniture relics. Ironically, this is only true for the category, as we tend to buy cars, jewelry, even homes much more frequently. In fact, some of us even have more spouses than coffee tables. Perhaps it is sentimental. Or perhaps somehow we grow attached to these inanimate objects. Regardless, we thought it was a little crazy so set out to illustrate how ridiculous this is by pulling at everyone's heart strings, then pulling the rug out from under them.
As an up-and-coming art director, it was an honor to work on this commercial which won the Film Grand Prix at Cannes in 2003. My partner Ari Merkin wrote it, and it was directed by Spike Jonze. It's nice to be in good company with a team like that.
The IKEA Summer Sale Event.
When IKEA asked us to promote their Annual Summer Sale event, we came back with a pretty bold idea. Simply, this was a sale to which the "rich" were not invited. They did not need to save up to 50% on items throughout the store. They could pay the regular everyday low prices.
For IKEA to discriminate any group - even the very rich - it was a daring move. The idea was obviously full of dry wit and made in good jest, but one that was exclusionary none-the-less.
We launched with inexpensive TV, newspaper, and even sent direct mail to the very rich, informing them that they would not be invited to the sale or allowed to participate. On top of that, we even built "rich detectors" installed at store entrances.
This may have been one of the first "PR" ideas we created at CP+B in the early years. The whole point was to get press and stir things up. Mission accomplished.
For IKEA to discriminate any group - even the very rich - it was a daring move. The idea was obviously full of dry wit and made in good jest, but one that was exclusionary none-the-less.
We launched with inexpensive TV, newspaper, and even sent direct mail to the very rich, informing them that they would not be invited to the sale or allowed to participate. On top of that, we even built "rich detectors" installed at store entrances.
This may have been one of the first "PR" ideas we created at CP+B in the early years. The whole point was to get press and stir things up. Mission accomplished.
