By now everyone knows that Ikea is the home store for small space solutions. But Canada isn’t Europe. And Leo Burnett Toronto found a reason for buying Ikea that doesn’t assume its audience lives in an apartment that’s just a tad too small.

It assumes that life hands everyone an unexpected change from time to time. And rather cleverly links these ’emergencies’ to its catalogue, which has become its point of difference. The campaign presents a handful of well known tests of a home’s resources like, “Boy meets girl. Girl moves in,” “You’re pregnant. With twins,” and “Your son moves back home. And brings his wife,” and Ikea’s solution – There’s a page for that.

According to David Kennedy, senior vice president & group account director, Leo Burnett, the campaign was built on the fact that the target market (women 25-49) tend to use the Ikea catalogue like they would a fashion magazine, thumbing through it and earmarking the interesting pices they find.

The billboards are posted in major Canadian markets like Toronto, Montreal, Winnipeg and Vancouver. The TVC and social media part of the campaign invites people to submit their favourite catalogue item to win an Ikea gift card.

Creative credits:

Advertising agency: Leo Burnett, Toronto
Chief creative officer: Judy John
Creative directors: David Federico, Lisa Greenberg, Judy John & Morgan Kurchak
Copywriter: Steve Persico
Art director: Anthony Chelvanathan
Producers: David Eades, Laurie Filgiano, Anne Peck & Michelle Repasky