McCann & MRM McCann: Ikea Spain’s trivia quiz pits social media knowledge against family knowledge

There is a lot of talk in the world about the problem that the people’s constant focus on their screens is causing. There are even ads about it. But it’s easier to deflect something that’s theoretical than when you are shown a problem affecting real people that could be you. McCann and MRM//McCann Spain have created an ad for Ikea Spain that’s real. Yes, it’s another social experiment and there have been hundreds of those, but you will probably find that you put yourself in this one as you watch…

…and feel very uncomfortable.

In this Christmas campaign by Ikea Spain, the brand is asking people to reflect on our everyday behaviour over the festive season. It hosted a trivia quiz dinner in which families were invited. They were asked a series of questions about social media “celebrities” and social media platforms and then about family members. If they got an answer wrong they had to leave the table.

Agreed, editing is a powerful tool but ads like these exist to make a point and this one does. In the film, everyone answered the social media questions correctly but the family questions proved to be extremely difficult. The tables were emptied, one respondent after the other.

The Ikea campaign, with its slogan, #DisconnectToConnect, is telling people that those who can’t answer simple questions about their loved ones 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.

The #DisconnectToConnect campaign consists of two 45 second TV ads and a two-minute YouTube video as well as other digital content. To support its goal of reconnecting people, Ikea will, for the first time ever, interrupt its digital communication and social media activity from December 24 2018 to January 1 2019.

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, using humorous memes with messages like Cut the memes, cuddles rule or My gran is an influencer.

Ikea has also developed a board game called Familiarised whose questions tests players’ knowledge about the lives of their loved ones. The game will have an analogue version which will be given to Ikea families, 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 avoid interruption.

Credits

Creative Agencies: McCann Spain & MRM//McCann Spain

Creatives: Mónica Moro, Raquel Martínez, Lorena Álvarez, Héctor Losa & Enrique Moreno

Digital Creatives: Maria José Clemente & Begoña Díaz

Strategic Planner: Juan Manuel Ramirez

Account Management: Javier Pascual, Elena Rodríguez, Alejandra Sierra, Claudia Solano, Elizabeth Localio, Maria Scola, Sonsoles San José & Francisco Guerra