By: Nicole B. Miller
“It’s not a digital book or an e-book…it’s a book book.” - Jörgen Eghammer, Chief Design Güru
IKEA’s latest advertising strategy is a beautiful pun on the digitization of not only how we read and shop, but also how we interact with others and the world around us. Employing Apple’s signature style of advertising, IKEA colorfully tells a story of how technology has changed our behavior and course of actions by reintroducing the book.
Boasting groundbreaking technology such as eternal battery life and pre-installed content that displays crystal clear pages regardless of how fast you may “scroll,” IKEA’s “book book” allows for “dog-eared” bookmarking and is easily built to cater to multiple users. IKEA has even revolutionized social media. Jörgen Eghammer, Chief Design Güru notes, “If you want to share a particularly inspiring item, you can literally share it.” Content is open and you can simply “download one to your mailbox, the one you open with a key.”
With my background in advertising, it is hard not to gush over a thought-provoking ad. In this two-minute and 28 second viral piece, IKEA playful heeds warning to the digitalized nature of our society and how we process and receive written content. Even though I feel IKEA has made a compelling argument for print, I must make note of their strong digital and social media presence. Offering an eCommerce website, Google+, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest boards (one featuring their 2015 catalog), You Tube and Vimeo channels and an Instagram account, IKEA has covered all of their bases. In addition to these outlets, IKEA also offers PDFs of their catalogs available for online browsing or downloading. There is even an app, yes, an app. Initially, I wanted to call IKEA a hypocrite for the satire regarding the digital nature of publishing, but I cannot help acknowledge their efforts towards bridging a gap between the two worlds.
IKEA’s app encourages cross-platform sharing between the app and the catalog by offering the ability to literally place furniture in desired spaces in your home. With the place furniture in your room feature, consumers are able to fulfill their curiosities with 3-D renderings. While this feature is heavily buggy, having the tool is grand enough. Another method of cross-platform sharing is the ability to scan specially marked pages in the catalog to unlock additional information in the app. I find this method of marketing to be the advocate for print that IKEA is truly trying to make, by encouraging the customer to interact with printed material. With this, IKEA feeds our desires to stay connected while offering us moment to return back to our humble roots. It also does not hurt that their catalogs are always beautifully designed and highly organized. If only their instructions exhibited the same.
Click here to experience the power of a “book book.”
“It’s not a digital book or an e-book…it’s a book book.” - Jörgen Eghammer, Chief Design Güru
IKEA’s latest advertising strategy is a beautiful pun on the digitization of not only how we read and shop, but also how we interact with others and the world around us. Employing Apple’s signature style of advertising, IKEA colorfully tells a story of how technology has changed our behavior and course of actions by reintroducing the book.
Boasting groundbreaking technology such as eternal battery life and pre-installed content that displays crystal clear pages regardless of how fast you may “scroll,” IKEA’s “book book” allows for “dog-eared” bookmarking and is easily built to cater to multiple users. IKEA has even revolutionized social media. Jörgen Eghammer, Chief Design Güru notes, “If you want to share a particularly inspiring item, you can literally share it.” Content is open and you can simply “download one to your mailbox, the one you open with a key.”
With my background in advertising, it is hard not to gush over a thought-provoking ad. In this two-minute and 28 second viral piece, IKEA playful heeds warning to the digitalized nature of our society and how we process and receive written content. Even though I feel IKEA has made a compelling argument for print, I must make note of their strong digital and social media presence. Offering an eCommerce website, Google+, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest boards (one featuring their 2015 catalog), You Tube and Vimeo channels and an Instagram account, IKEA has covered all of their bases. In addition to these outlets, IKEA also offers PDFs of their catalogs available for online browsing or downloading. There is even an app, yes, an app. Initially, I wanted to call IKEA a hypocrite for the satire regarding the digital nature of publishing, but I cannot help acknowledge their efforts towards bridging a gap between the two worlds.
IKEA’s app encourages cross-platform sharing between the app and the catalog by offering the ability to literally place furniture in desired spaces in your home. With the place furniture in your room feature, consumers are able to fulfill their curiosities with 3-D renderings. While this feature is heavily buggy, having the tool is grand enough. Another method of cross-platform sharing is the ability to scan specially marked pages in the catalog to unlock additional information in the app. I find this method of marketing to be the advocate for print that IKEA is truly trying to make, by encouraging the customer to interact with printed material. With this, IKEA feeds our desires to stay connected while offering us moment to return back to our humble roots. It also does not hurt that their catalogs are always beautifully designed and highly organized. If only their instructions exhibited the same.
Click here to experience the power of a “book book.”