IKEA operations around the world, including Canada, didn’t monkey around when the opportunity to tap into an unexpected viral moment presented itself last week.
The heartbreaking story of Punch, a six-month-old macaque at Japan’s Ichikawa City Zoo that turned to a plush orangutan donated by IKEA for solace after being abandoned by his mother and bullied by his fellow monkeys, made the social media rounds and was picked up by major media outlets, including The Guardian and USA Today.
The videos showed Punch dragging IKEA’s Djungelskog orangutan around his enclosure, and even turning to the plush toy for comfort.
Brands have become highly adept at leveraging cultural moments on social, and IKEA operations around the world—from Mexico to Germany, Morocco to the U.S.—quickly created Instagram and TikTok posts referencing Punch and his newfound IKEA pal. IKEA Spain posted a photo on Twitter that showed the Djungelskog with an arm protectively wrapped around Punch.
“Markets across IKEA saw the incredible outpouring of posts and reactions to this heartfelt moment, and each chose to respond in a way and time that felt right for their local audiences,” said Jonelle Ricketts, head of marketing at IKEA Canada.
In Canada, IKEA turned to its social media agency, Dentsu Creative, to create a short video shot at its North York store. It featured the super “We all need a comfort monkey,” followed by a series of shots of the orangutan arm-in-arm with other animals in its Djungelskog line of soft toys.
“Every so often, a genuinely unexpected and heartfelt moment happens that naturally connects back to the brand,” said Ricketts. “In this case, it involved one of our products and it was simply too special not to share.”
Not surprisingly, these hugely viral moments can also have a pronounced impact on sales. The IKEA Canada website lists the US$10.90 (CA$14.99) Djungelskog orangutan as “currently unavailable.” “We are working to replenish stock as quickly as possible,” said Ricketts.
Source: Campaign Canada
