The pandemic and the resulting isolation led to a 5.5% increase in Norway's birth rate. For parents, choosing a name for a baby has always been a challenge, but it became even harder during a national baby boom. Who wants to name their child the same as their neighbor's?

Insight

Since 1948, IKEA has used human names for its products instead of article numbers, creating a catalog of over 70 years of names. As a result, IKEA has built one of the largest name banks in the world.

 

Idea

The campaign involved thoroughly combing through over 15,000 pages of IKEA catalogs in search of unique baby names.

The outcome was the creation of over 800 unique baby names in the "Navnekatalogen" (Name Catalog). Each name was given a distinctive description inspired by the original IKEA product it was derived from.

 

Execution

The campaign provided IKEA with the opportunity to reach a broad audience across multiple channels.

From TV commercials to newsletters, social media, online video, ikea.no, store displays (tags with name suggestions on furniture), doctor's offices (physical catalogs in waiting rooms), and extensive media coverage (PR). The campaign made IKEA relevant in both digital and physical spaces, ensuring widespread engagement.

 

Results

The "Welcome Babyboom" campaign resulted in an impressive PR boom for IKEA, generating both national and international media attention. Talk show hosts like Stephen Colbert and Seth Meyers mentioned the campaign, and various radio stations and podcasts discussed how to choose the right baby name.

Even the program Ukeslutt on NRK invited a name expert for an exclusive interview on the topic. Although the catalog was meant for the Norwegian market, it was translated into several languages and featured on live TV broadcasts.

The digital catalog became the most visited page on ikea.no, with over 1.3 million minutes spent browsing for the perfect name. Additionally, IKEA Family newsletters were opened by over 800,000 Norwegians, setting a new customer engagement record.