The archive · Advertising · Marketing decision · 2021–2022
IKEA renames its Korken water bottle 'Cristiano' after Ronaldo pushes Coca-Cola away
Real-time IKEA Canada newsjack: rename the reusable Korken bottle 'Cristiano', make the post shoppable — 700M earned impressions in 48 hours.
IKEA Canada
What it had to solve
At a UEFA Euro 2020 press conference in June 2021, Cristiano Ronaldo pushed bottles of Coca-Cola away from his microphone, held up a bottle of water and said 'Agua'; the clip went around the world in hours. IKEA wanted to attach its sustainability story to that moment and decided to move in real time rather than plan a campaign.
How it works
At a UEFA Euro 2020 press conference in June 2021, Cristiano Ronaldo moved two bottles of Coca-Cola away from his microphone, held up a bottle of water and said 'Agua'. The clip circled the globe in hours — and it arrived at a moment when IKEA was looking for a way to talk about reuse and sustainability.
IKEA Canada and agency Rethink answered in real time. Instead of a planned campaign, IKEA posted its popular, well-priced reusable glass Korken water bottle on social media with the nameplate 'Cristiano' — a bottle for water only, echoing the footballer's gesture — and made the Instagram post shoppable so the moment could convert on the spot.
The post earned an estimated 700 million earned impressions in 48 hours and roughly $25 million in paid-media value; sales rose 14% on the day of the post and web traffic 7%. IKEA became the second most talked-about brand of the tournament without being an official sponsor, and the renamed bottle became the retailer's most buzzworthy social post.
Why it lands
- The product was the message: renaming an existing reusable bottle let IKEA claim Ronaldo's water moment without inventing anything new.
- Speed plus shopping: the shoppable post converted inside the news cycle, so attention became sales instead of just awareness.
- It let IKEA own the sustainability angle of a sports news moment through its real territory — affordable reuse — instead of buying sponsorship.
- Measurable results (700M earned impressions, 14% sales lift) turned a stunt into a case study other brands could copy.
What it did
The post earned an estimated 700 million earned impressions in 48 hours and about $25 million in paid-media value, lifted sales 14% on the day of the post and web traffic 7%, and made IKEA the second most talked-about brand of the tournament without being an official sponsor. Strategy Awards 2022 gave the work Gold in Social Media and Silver in Influencer/Talent Marketing, and D&AD archived it.
What you can take
The fastest newsjacks win when the product is the reply: rename the hero item, make the post shoppable, and let the news cycle pay for the media.
Since then
The Cristiano Bottle became IKEA's most buzzworthy social post and the retailer finished as the number-two most talked-about brand of the whole tournament. Strategy Awards 2022 recognised the work with Gold in Social Media and Silver in Influencer/Talent Marketing, and D&AD keeps it in the awards archive as a reference for real-time product hijacking.
Sources
spotted an error? The archive wants to know.
Your turn
You just read one. Describe the brief you are staring at, and see who has been given the same problem.
Free account · 3 free questions · no card