IKEA ASKS PM TO SIT ON IT
In a cheeky ad in yesterday’s Sydney Morning Herald, IKEA Australia asks Prime Minister John Howard “to sit on it” in response to the much publicised claims by WA Liberal MP Don Randall that people can’t really expect the Prime Minister to go to IKEA and put together “dodgy chairs”. Mr Randall’s comments were in defense of the PM’s purchase of more than $200,000 worth of new chairs for the Cabinet room.
Created by its new agency HOST Sydney, in conjunction with creative partner The Glue Society, the IKEA ad states, “We respectfully ask Prime Minister John Howard to sit on it”, and shows an image of the JERRIK swivel chair at only $569, which is significantly better value than the almost $3000 paid for each one of the PM’s chairs.
There has been intense media interest in the debate about the quality of IKEA chairs following the news from IKEA Australia CEO Kent Nordin that many dignitaries and embassies around the world have purchased IKEA furniture and are very satisfied with its quality and design.
“Even the King and Queen of Sweden have bought our furnishings and we are currently in talks with the Swedish Embassy here to provide a considerable amount of furniture for its Canberra offices. We would be very happy to talk to the Prime Minister too,” he said. “We can even offer him an assembly service if he doesn’t feel confident enough to put the furniture together himself.”
Yesterday’s ad has also attracted extensive media coverage on TV and radio news and talkback programs. The ad is HOST’s first piece of work for IKEA, and according to Client Service Director Matt Cooney, the relationship has started as it means to go on. “We love to create work that people talk about, and we’re delighted that our first ad for IKEA has got people doing just that,” he said.
posted by CB @ 8:13 AM
15 Comments:
Nice idea to do a topical ad. The ad itself is a bit of a let-down though.
The Amanda Vanstone Maccas ad is still the best politically topical ad. More please now DDB...
Could've gone all the way with 'sit on it and rotate'.
After all, it is a swivel chair!
nothing new here....BMF ran a great ad after the last election...asking Mr Latham if he was looking for a new front bench.....so Its a stale idea!
yawn
And, to be fair to the PM, I can't see international visitors sitting on tinny IKEA furniture. Also, I can't imagine him on his knees fiddling with those silly little elan key thingies and looking for the inevitable missing bits.
I went to Ikea and bought a WARREN but it fell apart.
Maybe Howard could sit on it while he has his twenty minute showers.
Once again Howard proves you don;t need a long neck to be a goose.
BS! This is a great topical ad that has generated both press and people talking about it. And no, I don't work at HOST. Or Glue.
Would people who didn't grow up watching 'Happy Days' get it?
Good publicity for Ikea though.
Personally I think John Howard should stick the chair up his arse... but in the context of a quick response to a topical story, well done.
That is a big logo
Is this really how bad australian advertising has got.
A PR person is employed to publicize an average topical ad.
And people say it's good.
Sad.
All over the web and the press, positive brand association.
I've no doubt the former incumbent would have charged an arm and a chair leg and taken far longer than it takes to put together a flat pack to get this ad up and running. Well done Host!
About 25 years ago Leonardi &Curtis had the Ikea account.
Wrote all the original "Losing seats" "New Cabinets" stuff. It was fresh then. It was topical then. It is stale now.
Look up MADC annuals from early to mid 80's.
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