This Christmas IKEA Invites Customers to Disconnect in New Campaign

IKEA has launched its Christmas campaign asking us to reflect on everyday behaviour, which is considered normal but that perhaps we all need to reconsider, particularly as the Christmas holidays are now upon us.

Using the slogan #DisconnectToConnect,  IKEA is betting on a different Christmas encouraging us to disconnect our mobile devices and social media in order to connect with those that we are going to spend time with at this special time of year.

Created by McCann and MRM//McCann Spain, the campaign starts with the idea that we spend an increasing amount of time with our faces buried in our mobile phones and this excessive attention we pay to them means in many cases we disconnect from the loved ones we have around us and they take second place.

New technologies have radically changed the way we relate to those around us and while undoubtedly useful, they are inadvertently affecting our capacity to relate to others in a negative way. In fact, research by the University of Chicago shows that the mere presence of a mobile phone on a table reduces the cognitive depth of conversation.

The Swedish company’s new campaign highlights the social reality of digital hyper-connection through an ad in which several real families take part in a quiz where they are challenged to answer questions about characters in the digital world as well as about members of their own family, over Christmas dinner. If they answer correctly, they can continue eating, but if they give a wrong answer, they have to leave the table.

Gradually the table starts to empty because the majority of the diners may know a lot about the lives of digital characters, but paradoxically know very little about the lives of their loved ones, who they live with.

The message aims to convey that the people who do not answer correctly are not just losing the quiz, but all those conversations and moments that they will not experience or enjoy because they spend too much time on their mobile devices.

As a gesture to promote this disconnection, the Company will for the first time ever interrupt its digital communication and social media activity from 24th December 2018 to 1st January 2019.

Information about the #DisconnectToConnect campaign

The #DisconnectToConnect campaign will consist of two 45 second TV ads and a two minute Youtube video as well as other digital content.

There will also be a landing page with ideas to encourage users to disconnect and get them to share the “Disconnect to reconnect” message on their social media profiles, through funny pieces such as memes with messages like “Cut the memes, cuddles rule” or “My gran is an influencer”. 

In addition, to encourage connection amongst families and friends, the company has developed a board game called “FAMILIARISED” which will test their knowledge about the lives of their loved ones through questions.

The game will have an analogue version which will be given to all family members, brand ambassadors and all IKEA employees in Spain, a digital version will be available to all those who wish to play via a link which in order to be able to play, will ask users to switch their phones to Airplane Mode, to ensure disconnection and avoid interruption.

The advertisement was made with real families chosen through a casting process in which family members also participated. The aim of this casting was to obtain maximum authenticity in the ad and real answers, not something from a script interpreted by actors.

Source: McCann Spain

  #DisconnectToConnect, Advertising, Campaign, Christmas, Communication, Digital, FAMILIARISED, Ikea, Marketing, McCann, MRM//MCCANN, Retail, Social Media, Spain