IKEA 50th Anniversary — Vertical Impression OOH Campaign

50 YEARS OF
LIFE AT HOME.

You're looking for high impact. What provides more impact than this: 1 elevator screen = 100+ homes.

283

Buildings

632

Screens

37,324+

Residential Units

$IKEA elevator screen — 50 years screen — 50 years and it\'s just the start$

01 — The Opportunity

Celebrate Where People Live

IKEA doesn't just sell furniture — it shapes how people experience home. So the 50th anniversary shouldn't live on a highway. It should live where IKEA already lives: inside the lobbies, elevators, and gathering spaces of the buildings Canadians call home.

🏠

The Insight

A brand turning 50 doesn't feel relevant unless it connects to people's own lives. Anniversaries are noticed, not engaged with — unless you meet people where they live and make the celebration theirs too.

🎯

Proximity Targeting

Activations placed within proximity of IKEA locations across Canada. Residents walk through the celebration on their way to their car — and the nearest IKEA is minutes away.

📸

Shareable by Design

Physical transformations people photograph, post, and talk about. This isn't an ad they scroll past — it's a real-world moment they live in. Earned media built into the format.

02 — The Hero Activation

IKEA Lobby Takeover

Transform a residential lobby into a mini IKEA showroom — but here's the twist: residents help design and build it. Then IKEA gives the furniture away to the people who live there.

Co-Create the Space

Residents vote on styles, layouts, and pieces from IKEA's catalogue. On remodel day, they help assemble and arrange — turning IKEA's signature DIY experience into a community event.

Brand the Moment

50th anniversary signage, product tags with QR codes, and celebratory decor. Every piece is tagged and shoppable. The build day becomes a photo-ready, social-first content moment.

Give It All Away

At the end of the campaign, IKEA gives the furniture to residents — raffled off or donated to the building. The brand earns lasting goodwill, and the story ends with a gift, not an ad.

WHY THIS WORKS

It's not an ad — it's a community experience with a gift at the end. Residents don't just see IKEA — they build it together, live with it, and take it home. IKEA's whole promise is making life at home better; this proves it. The co-creation drives engagement, the giveaway drives word-of-mouth, and the whole thing generates social content at every stage.

03 — Community Experience

The IKEA Birthday Party Room

A full room remodel. For IKEA's 50th birthday party.

IKEA is turning 50 — so we throw them a party. We select residential buildings near IKEA locations and completely remodel their party room with IKEA furniture and decor. The room becomes a living, usable showroom that residents experience every time they book the space.

Full IKEA makeover of an existing residential party/amenity room — furniture, lighting, textiles, kitchenware, decor. Everything tagged and shoppable.
Contest-driven selection — run a user-generated contest to determine which buildings win the makeover. Residents submit entries, driving engagement and social buzz before the build even begins.
50th anniversary branding throughout — celebratory, fun, flashy. Residents walk in and know it's a birthday party.
Hero content moment — document the transformation for social, PR, and cross-channel amplification across IKEA's other media.
Coupon giveaway at launch event — drive traffic to the nearest IKEA store. Turns awareness into foot traffic.
Legacy impact — the room outlasts the campaign. Residents use IKEA furniture for years. Brand love, not just brand awareness.

IKEA Birthday Party Room — concept render

04 — Home Elevator Wraps

Home Elevator Wraps

Full elevator wraps turn every ride into an IKEA experience. Doors, walls, and panels become an immersive showroom. Creative directions include Lost in Translation (Swedish product name puns), 50 Years of Home Movies (nostalgic imagery), and A World Without Assembly (surreal humor).

IKEA elevator wrap mockup — Home Solutions

05 — Campaign Details

At A Glance

Campaign Parameters

Flight Dates Sept 14 – Nov 8, 2026

Duration 8 Weeks

Market National (EN/FR)

Audience A18+ Canadians

Targeting Proximity to IKEA Locations

KPI Awareness

Proposed Formats

Lobby Takeover Hero Activation

Party Room Remodel Community Experience

Home Elevator Wraps Immersive OOH

Tone Celebratory · Fun · Flashy

Home Elevator Wraps Starting at $100K

Lobby Markets Starting at $20K / location

Party Room Starting at $10K / location

UGC Contest Managed at no charge

Win the Lobby / Party Room Makeover Contest
We can manage the user-generated contest at no charge — driving resident engagement, social sharing, and earned media before the build even begins.

06 — National Footprint

IKEA Market Coverage

283 buildings · 632 screens · All locations within 15 km of an IKEA store

283

Buildings

632

Screens

15km

Max Distance to IKEA

Condo Rental Other

All 283 locations are within 15 km of an IKEA store. Audience: A18+ Canadians buying furniture this year. Toggle filters above to explore by province and property type.

50 YEARS.
CELEBRATED AT HOME.

283 buildings. 632 screens. 37,324+ residential units. 6 provinces. Every location within 15 km of an IKEA store. Party rooms remodeled. Lobbies transformed. Elevators wrapped.

This isn't just an anniversary campaign — it's IKEA showing up where it's always belonged.

Let's Build This Together →

PSMALLEY@VERTICALIMPRESSION.COM · VERTICALIMPRESSION.COM