Title	IKEA BLANKET FORTS
Brand	IKEA
Product/Service	IKEA GOODS & HOME FURNISHING SOLUTIONS
Category	B01. Social Engagement
Entrant	INSTINCT Moscow, RUSSIA
Idea Creation	INSTINCT Moscow, RUSSIA
Media Placement	INSTINCT Moscow, RUSSIA
PR	INSTINCT Moscow, RUSSIA
Production	INSTINCT Moscow, RUSSIA

Name	Company	Position
Agency: Roman & Yaroslav / Antonina & Evgeny / Elena / Marina / Irina / Anna. Client: Inna / Anna / Olya / Yulia Agency: Firainer & Orlov / Pirogova & Golovan / Kravchenko / Vershinina / Gornova / Za	Agency: Instinct / Instinct / Instinct / Instinct / Instinct / Instinct. Client: IKEA Russia / IKEA Russia / IKEA Russia / IKEA Russia	Agency: Creative Directors / Associate Creative Directors / Creative Designer / Client Service Director / Group Account Director / Strategic Planning Director. Client: Marketing Manager / Marketing Co

Why is this work relevant for PR?

2020 year, a lot of pressure especially on parents who are running out of ideas to keep kids entertained within four walls due to COVID situation. IKEA decided to help and ran a unique project ‘IKEA Blanket Forts’. There are six illustrated instruction manuals for building a series of at-home forts using IKEA goods. With the activity IKEA wished in inspire its consumers to remember times they felt comfortable and safe themselves at their homes creating similar forts in their childhood. Zero budget, only one post in IKEA social media, reach over 1.6 million people.

Background

Situation: Self-isolation during COVID-19 and quarantine put a lot of pressure on parents pto be teacher, disciplinarian, friend, and everything else. Parents were running out of ideas to keep kids entertained within four walls. Brief: Suggest easy, affordable and creative ways to help change-up playtime for many families staying within four walls during the lock down. Objectives: Inspire as many people as possible with the idea how to spend more quality time with the little ones and have fun with what one already has, create word-of-mouth and stimulate “the movement”.

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

According to the consumer research data, nostalgia was very definitely in the air during the lock down, as people stayed at home and reminisced about different times. When the world outside is a dumpster fire, what’s better than making a big fort in your house and hunkering down for the day as many of today’s parents did in their childhood looking for feeling comfort and safe. As a response to the situation, IKEA released six illustrated instruction manuals on Instagram for building a series of at-home forts using some of its most popular offerings like tables, chairs, couches, blankets, comforters, pillows, hangers, string lights and more. Each at-home fort design mimicked the visual guides of a traditional IKEA black and white instruction manual showing a list of items one'll need to create the fort, as well as a drawing of the final result.

Describe the PR strategy (30% of vote)

Insight: As far as the campaign idea was to support IKEA lovers in the difficult situation, the IKEA social media channels have been primarily selected. Only 1 post with six at-home fort ideas (castle, fortress, wigwam, house, cave, and camping tent) have been placed a week. With the activity IKEA wished in inspire its consumers to remember times they felt comfortable and safe themselves at their homes creating similar forts in their childhood and support their family and kids in the difficult times copying forts from their past today with IKEA solutions. Key message: #IaminIKEAhouse. Target audience: parents of school-age kids, those who had to stay with their kids 24/7 at home replacing all activities of pre-COVID times with home-based activities and entertainment

Describe the PR execution (20% of vote)

Implementation: Each at-home fort design mimicked the visual guides of a traditional IKEA black and white instruction manual showing a list of items one'll need to create the fort, as well as a drawing of the final result. Timeline: 1 post in IKEA social media, 6 weeks. Placement: IKEA social media channels, main was Instagram. Scale: National

List the results (30% of vote)

Media Outputs - coverage depth (quality / quantity), tone and message delivery, purchase intent (survey): 1.6 million people reach (+129% to average), 150 publications international press (small local project received great international coverage), 1 574 560 – of posts in owned SM channels, 921 264 – of stories in owned SM channels, 699 303 – of posts in engaged influencers IG accounts; Target Audience Outcomes - measurable changes in awareness, comprehension, perceptions / attitudes / opinions, and target behaviours / actions / responses achieved: +391% growth of total number of interactions in comparison to average, 79 835 – of posts in owned SM channels, 5 336 – of Stories in owned SM channels, 34 847 – of posts in engaged influencers IG accounts; Business Outcomes – campaign's measurable effect on sales / revenues / profits, market share, stock valuation, brand equity, reputation scores and other traditional marketing and business metrics: not applicable as the objective of the campaign was to entertain and emotionally support IKEA lovers who have been locked at their homes during quarantine. However, all incredible results in coverage and interactions have been achieved with zero budget.