IKEA

Ikea’s got you- ‘til hell freezes over.

A woman lying on a bed surrounded by clothes, bags, and miscellaneous items. Overlaid text reads: "HEL I YOUR 300 SQ FT APART MENT AFTER A NIGHT OUT." The IKEA logo is in the bottom right corner, and additional text says: "WE'VE GOT YOU. 'TIL HELL FREEZES OVER."

PRINT

A woman with curly blonde hair and bold makeup sitting on the floor in a cluttered room filled with trash, cans, and various items. Overlaid text reads, "HELLO, IS THE 'JUNK CORNER.'" and a smaller text at the bottom states, "WE'VE GOT YOU. 'TIL HELL FREEZES OVER," with an IKEA logo in the corner.
An Ikea advertisement featuring a cluttered room with messy clothes, a cluttered table, and a woman with blonde hair sitting behind the text. The ad reads: "Hello, your clothes pouring out of the dresser. We've got you. 'Til hell freezes over."

Problem

IKEA is known for being affordable and practical, but to young adults moving into their first apartments, it isn’t seen as aspirational or reflective of the excitement of starting adult life.

Insight

Gen Z first-time renters want to “romanticize” their new lives, no matter how chaotic and disorganized they may be. Gen Zers aren’t afraid to be transparent about being messy in all aspects of their lives. They want their small, shared, messy spaces to feel like home, but often struggle to make these small rooms functional, stylish, and personal.

Goal

Position IKEA as the brand that understands the beautiful chaos of early adulthood and provides easy, stylish solutions that help young city renters transform any space into a home in a way that is relatable to young people.

Execution

Print

Relatable “Hell is…” (reference to the iconic Jennifer’s body quote, “hell is a teenage girl”) ads using playful, youthful photography, highlighting common messy apartment scenarios. Photography by Maya Fuhr.

Social

A humorous collaboration with viral TikTok creator and comedian Rachel Coster on her account @boyroomshow to makeover the most chaotic male apartments using IKEA products.

Experiential

An IKEA “escape-room” style pop-up in NYC and LA, where participants race to declutter a messy apartment simulation using IKEA storage items, winning prizes based on completion time.

Together, the print, social, and experiential executions meet young renters online, in real life, and in their own apartments, showing in a humorous, hands-on way how IKEA products can easily turn their chaos into a home.

SOCIAL

A graphic with the IKEA logo on the left and a yellow 'Boy Room' sign over a pile of clothes on the right. The text 'SOCIAL' at the top, '05' on the right side of the sign, and 'IKEA X BOY ROOMS' at the bottom.
A social media post about the messiest boy rooms, showing a cluttered bedroom with a shirtless boy teenager standing in the room, surrounded by clutter including blankets, clothes, and furniture. The text overlay reads "ISO: THE MESSIEST, MOST TRAGIC BOY ROOMS." The post discusses how boys share a room for collaborations with IKEA and use products to transform their space.

EXPERIENTIAL