Title	THE UNCAMPAIGN
Brand	IKEA
Product/Service	2020 CATALOGUE
Category	E01. Use of Integrated Media
Entrant	STV DDB Milan, ITALY
Idea Creation	STV DDB Milan, ITALY
Production	KAREN FILM Milan, ITALY

Name	Company	Position
Luca Cortesini	DDB Group Italy	Executive Creative Director
Gabriele Caeti	DDB Group Italy	Executive Creative Director
Samantha Scaloni	DDB Group Italy	Client Creative Director
Marco Zilioli	DDB Group Italy	Client Creative Director
Camilla Nani	DDB Group Italy	Copywriter
Elena Fontani	DDB Group Italy	Art Director
Davide Bergna	DDB Group Italy	Account Director
Azzurra Ricevuti	DDB Group Italy	Account Manager
Marco Mammino	DDB Group Italy	Strategic Planner

Why is this work relevant for Media?

The UnCampaign (or the first campaign ever created to go unnoticed) was an absurd media-driven campaign, where the different media formats used to convey our message truly made the concept come to life. Through inventive and non-traditional media channels, we were able to create ways for IKEAholics (NOT) to engage with the campaign across every imaginable platform.

Background

Every year, at the beginning of September, IKEA distributes millions of catalogues to households all over Italy to the delight of all Italians, who are literally obsessed with the Swedish bible of interior inspiration and can’t wait to receive their copy at home, flip through its pages and discover all the latest ideas and solutions. But this year, they will have to give up and miss their favourite annual ritual: unfortunately for the brand’s fans and enthusiasts, the 2020 IKEA Catalogue edition will never be mailed and will only be distributed in IKEA stores. And we knew they would react very badly to this shocking announcement.

Describe the creative idea / insights (30% of vote)

We knew how much Italians cared about this long-awaited moment. So, we had to find a delicate way to deliver all the national IKEAholics the terrible, TERRIBLE news. And we did (kind of). By not giving it at all, by any means (and media) possible. In order to do so, we thought the unthinkable, creating the first campaign meant to do what an ad should never do: go unnoticed. So, we hid our terrible announcement in every possible way and through every possible channel.

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

In order for our campaign to work, we had to make it the most ineffective campaign ever, because our goal was (drumroll!) not reaching absolutely anyone. But we had a challenge: use the same media a big, bold integrated campaign usually covers to properly convey a message. So, our strategy was very simple and straightforward: we had to do everything in our power not to get the attention of anyone, anywhere. It was hard. But we succeeded, through absurd media placements, both offline and online, unreadable print ads, unhearable radio ads, unreachable OOH and many, many more channels.

Describe the execution (20% of vote)

Through a large-scale fully integrated campaign, we (kind of) delivered our message everywhere. On newspapers, we thought of making our copy unreadable. On SNs, we wrote it in a language no-one understands anymore: Imperial Aramaic. We went on TV (yeah, but on local, unknown channels) and on radio with 3 absolutely unhearable ads. In store, we announced it at closing hours or not that close, where no one understands Italian (like in IKEA Moscow or IKEA Tokyo). The campaign also consisted of lots of OOH, placed where no-one would ever read them (except grazing cows and donkeys) and involved special IG personalities we named Uninfluencers: people with very few followers, ideal not to spread our message. Just like the unknown websites we placed our banners on were! But at some point, we had to reveal everything we did, along with the terrible news and… voilà. It was a success.

List the results (30% of vote)

When the reveal moment finally came, we were afraid of how Italian fans would react online (and really scared for our SMMs), but the campaign generated astonishing results, because not only did users and brand lovers accept the news, but they loved the brand even more, transforming what could have been a catastrophic crisis into a resounding success for the brand. + 41% visits on IKEA.it + 24% in-store traffic + 40% brand awareness