Case Study: Tomorrow Starts Tonight by IKEA

Some of our favourite and most memorable digital marketing campaigns come from brands who aren’t afraid to have fun.

We like to be a little tongue-in-cheek and playful at times here at Zib, which is why the Tomorrow Starts Tonight campaign by IKEA caught our eye recently.

These out-of-home (OOH) and print-focused advertisements by Mother London show how society has turned to aids such as energy drinks in exchange for a solid 8 hours of rest. The clear and concise visuals show that even if you supplement, there’s really no replacement for good, old-fashioned sleep. While IKEA is well known for their Scandi designs and warehouse-style shopping, these ads show off their plush bedding line and position them specifically as sleep experts.

In their three designs, you see the brand play on the everyday practice of supplementing life with chemicals to counteract the effects that lack of sleep has on your brain, body and beauty. Energy drinks, anti-aging cream and vitamin tablets all make an appearance as some of the most popular products used to look and feel fresh after a night of not so solid sleep.

The cleverness of this campaign lies in the details. They’re visually acknowledging that people have come to think of sleep replacement products as normal and so can assume that consumers will be able to identify these products by just their containers. IKEA knows there truly is no substitute for sleep, and if you want to achieve the elusive all-night slumber, you need to invest in real sleep products instead of trendy alternatives.

IKEA has not only pulled you in and made you think about how much sleep you’re getting; it also highlights the necessity of pre-empting your sleep with products that are proven to have a positive effect on it. Soft pillows, silky sheets and cosy duvets create a bed that you want to sink into for the night, and conveniently you can get all of those products at your neighbourhood IKEA.

The final piece of the puzzle comes from the product plugs and prices listed on the designs. By showing the names of their products you can easily see the comparison between products that work and products that don’t. By listing the prices, it allows consumers to see that they may be overpaying for pricey substitutes when the real thing is both cheaper to come by and infinitely more effective.

These visuals were created by making large scale models of cans, jars and bottles and then using the actual IKEA products that they’re promoting in the photos. Shot by Amy Currell, the photographs capture the real feel of plush bedding as it spills out of the mock containers. The lighting and attention-grabbing labels ensure that you’ll first see the image as a whole before you focus in on the word “sleep” and make the connection.

The tagline perfectly balances the ad, calling out that a better tomorrow is only a good sleep away. Getting a night of good sleep and waking up feeling and looking well-rested starts with the choices you make the night before.

Driven by a catchy tagline and clear but eye-catching designs, IKEA has once again shown us that sometimes, the best ad is a simple one.

Whether it’s outdoors or online, IKEA has shown us that good marketing starts with understanding your consumer. Whether it’s through advertising, SEO or content strategy, knowing where to find your customers and how to speak to them when you do will differentiate a stock standard company from a successful one.

Credits
Advertising Agency: Vitamin Supplements
Executive Creative Directors: Ana Balarin, Hermeti Balarin
Creative Directors: Thom Whitaker, Danielle Outhwaite-Noel
Art Director: Anthony Montagne, Oli Rimoldi
Copywriter: Anthony Montagne, Oli Rimoldi
Designer/Typographer: Gina Balfe
Producer: Bertie Gulliver
Account Director: Lou de Keyzer
Production Director: Giedre Minotaite
Strategy: Scarlett Spence, Imogen Carter
Production Company: The Miss Jones Agency
Photographer: Amy Currell
Stylist: Amy Friend
Model making: Andy Knight Ltd