What it had to solve
A limited-period activation for the UAE retailer to de-stress furniture shopping and add value for couples, launched for one day at IKEA Festival Plaza.
The idea
QR codes on selected sofas booked arguing couples a session with professional relationship therapists — counselling where the fighting starts.
How it works
QR codes on selected furniture led to a microsite for booking sessions with professional therapists; in-store posters of real couple problems normalised the tension, and a film showed couples arguing over whether a room was a game room or a study, and a 25-year coffee-table stalemate.
What it did
The activation ran for one day at IKEA Festival Plaza; no campaign results were reported. Its job was service and standout — positioning the retailer as the brand that solves furniture shopping's real tension.
Background
In February 2023 Al-Futtaim IKEA, the Swedish home furnishings retailer's UAE operator, ran 'Couch Counselling', a limited-period activation created with Impact BBDO Dubai and Impact Porter Novelli. The premise: studies show furniture shopping is one of the leading causes of relationship tension, so the store brought in professional relationship counsellors and therapists with whom couples could book consultations — about any relationship issue, including furniture decisions.
The mechanics were deliberately simple. Couples visiting IKEA Festival Plaza scanned a QR code placed on selected furniture items, which took them to a microsite where they could reserve a counselling session. Posters inspired by real-life couple problems lined the store to make shoppers feel understood and normalise the friction, each with a call-to-action pointing to the microsite.
An activation film played the insight for comedy: one couple argues over whether the room they are furnishing is a game room or a study; another confesses they have failed to agree on a coffee table for 25 years. Carla Klumpenaar, general manager of marketing, communication, HF and retail design at Al-Futtaim IKEA UAE, Qatar, Egypt and Oman, framed it as value-added service: 'Through this fun activation which went live for one day, we gave our customer's value-added services to support their shopping experience.'
Why it lands
Furniture shopping genuinely produces the conflict the campaign stages, so the joke lands as recognition rather than invention.
Putting the service where the problem happens — next to the sofa — beats an abstract brand message about understanding customers.
Posters of real couple problems normalise the tension, making the store feel like it is on the couple's side.
The activation extends IKEA's 'create a better everyday life' promise into the emotional work of furnishing a home together.
What you can take
Find the moment your category stresses customers most, then help with it on the spot — even when the problem isn't the product.
Since then
The activation went live for one day at IKEA Festival Plaza in February 2023 and was covered by LBB on 15 February 2023; no uptake numbers or follow-up rollout were reported.
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