Title	IKANO FLAPPY SAVER
Brand	IKANO BANK
Product/Service	SAVINGS PRODUCTS
Category	C01. USE OF DIGITAL IN A PR CAMPAIGN
Entrant Company	VOLONTAIRE Stockholm, SWEDEN
Advertising Agency	VOLONTAIRE Stockholm, SWEDEN
Media Agency	MEDIACOM Stockholm, SWEDEN
Production Company	23 CRITTERS Stockholm, SWEDEN

The Campaign

Young Swedes have lost confidence in institutions in general, and banks in specific. Consumption has become the fast lane to forming their identity and the lack of savings make them vulnerable and dependent on others. The primary goal was to position Ikano Bank as a “no need to get dressed up bank” for young people in Sweden and enhance the kinship with its popular founder IKEA. Ikano Flappy Saver was developed and launched just before the tax return period, as an homage to the immensely popular mobile game Flappy Bird. Like in real life, players were challenged to avoid saving obstacles like restaurants and shoe stores. By becoming a part of existing behaviour and popular culture we managed to make young swedes engage in economy. In just 4 weeks the game was played over 1,52 million times and reached 116 million people worldwide and the bank received recognition among gaming as well as acclaimed business media worth 3,5 million Euro in 21 countries as an innovative and laid back bank. Or as media called us: ”Banking IKEA style”. In addition the game has been played over 200 000 times after the end of the campaign and the interaction with Ikano Bank lasts until today. This project is eligible for the PR category based on a strategy relying on earned media, using existing behaviours and popular culture, a game designed to create maximum social spread. The project proved to be hugely successful amongst both news editors and the target audience worldwide.

The Brief

Research shows that young people steer clear of any contact with the traditional banking world. However, many have a positive relationship to Ikano’s founders, IKEA and the relaxed approach to everyday life for the many. The primary goal was therefore to position the bank as a laid back alternative. We set the goal to reaching half the young population (18-29) in Sweden (approximately 700 000) with a campaign in line with their existing interests. Secondly, we wanted to deepen the relationship with the most receptive. This was measured in time on site (average 1 minute) and played games (500 000).

Results

With a goal to position Ikano Bank as a different bank amongst 700 000 young Swedes, the result was overwhelming. In less than 4 weeks the game was played over 1, 52 million times racking up a staggering 154 days of active gameplay and voluntary commitment to a bank product from a crowd with little or no interest in banks. The campaign reached 116 million people worldwide with the predominant message, and also the quote used by Bloomberg, “Banking, IKEA Style”. The sentiment in social media was without exception overwhelmingly positive. The bank received recognition as bank daring to be different worth an estimate of over 3,5 million euros across 21 countries. To top that off the game has been played over 200 000 times after the end of the campaign and the interaction with Ikano Bank lasts until today.

Execution

In order to establish the game as valid to the gaming community, who held the power to make or break the campaign even before it was launched, we created a stealth launch together with the leading Nordic gaming media just as rumors of a new release of Flappy Bird surfaced. By this we achieved ”word of mouth” from individual players and followers as well as early user feedback on the game. Following the overwhelming results among gamers, we launched the campaign as broad as possible for 3 weeks. By targeting international business media, highlighting the unorthodox methods used by a bank, whilst simultaneously planting the news to international gaming media, Ikano Flappy Saver quickly became spread to international media. The very same media where early adopters in Sweden get their news, that are curated, given a personal twist and subsequently spread to the Swedish mainstream youths across social media.

The Situation

Young Swedes have lost confidence in institutions in general, and banks in specific. Even young professionals doing well for themselves steer clear of any contact with banks since they perceive them as conservative and judgemental. Consumption has become the fast lane to forming the identity of young grownups. By saving less than earlier generations they become vulnerable to unforeseen events and largely dependent on others; unable to move away from home and forced to accept poor working conditions. The awareness of the Ikano Brand is low. However, many have a positive association and relationship to its founding company IKEA.

The Strategy

Since the target audience, young Swedes, see banks as complicated and stiff and a low confidence in economy-related matters makes them harbor a low willingness, or even resistance to gain more knowledge about private economy. The lack of savings leads to dependency on others; inability to move away from home and the acceptance of poor working conditions. The best way to position the bank was to prove the strategy in action by being the opposite of boring and intimidating - to become the first bank to truly create something that is part of young popular culture and behaviour. The creative solution (or action) was Ikano Flappy Saver, an homage to the immensely popular mobile game Flappy Bird. Overnight, Ikano Bank became relevant to a whole new genre of traditional and social media, covering the gaming industry, that is incomparably closer to Swedish youths media habits compared to business media.