Discover the originals

ServiceStrategic Communications
SectorTravel & Tourism
Capability
Media Relations
Awards
Gold, Silver & Bronze, Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2022

How do you make the entire world discover a destination like Sweden? If you don’t have much of a PR or media budget, you need a big idea or a big problem…

Inviting tourists to “Discover the Original” in Sweden

Leveraging the insight that visitors to Sweden are missing out on experiencing many stunning gems within the country due to online searches for locations turning up images of IKEA products that share the same name such as toilet brushes (Bolmen), sofas (Ektorp) and waste bins (Toftan). Visit Sweden launched a film inviting prospective tourists to “Discover the Originals” – urging visitors to experience Swedish destinations that had become better known as functional Ikea products.

In November of 2021, local politicians, residents and media gathered by Lake Bolmen for the presentation of the lake’s new slogan: Welcome to Bolmen, more than an IKEA toilet brush. This was amplified on social media with more reclaimed locations – all driving visitors to the Visit Sweden site. Just hours after going live, the campaign was covered by Sweden’s biggest new stations – and then it went global!

Reclaiming the names of Swedish locations

Through the campaign, the public was able to learn the truth about IKEA’s mythical product names and the Swedish locations got the attention they deserved. In the end, 700 articles were published in 49 countries. With a minimal media budget, the campaign achieved an estimated reach of 2.1 billion and Sweden officially reclaimed its names.

The campaign won three Lions at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2022, including Gold and Silver for Creative Strategy and Bronze in Film.

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