The Future of Ads

Everyone is trying to capitalize on Obama-mania, but IKEA’s Oval Office – Embrace Change campaign may be the best attempt yet.

The microsite features a pixel art Oval Office and various pieces of IKEA furniture that you can use to create your ideal Oval Office, and each piece links to real version in the IKEA store, and can be customized with the same materials and options as the real item. Then you simply place, rotate and arrange the Oval Office as you see fit to create your very own version of Obama’s new home. Once you’re done, you can use the site’s built-in Send to Friend functionality to share your room with others, or you can even send it off to the White House and make your voice heard. Three winning designs will even receive a $1,500 Giftcard to make their dream Oval Office come to life.

In addition to the microsite, IKEA is making its presence known during Inauguration Week with a mock IKEA-ized Oval Office built in Washington DC’s Union Station as well as their College Park and Woodbridge stores, and a mock motorcade that will tour through the city with various pieces of IKEA furniture strapped to the roof to simulate the Obamas moving in. Visitors to the Oval Office in the Union Station can sit in the (mock) most powerful chair in the world, and can even sign a guestbook welcoming the Obamas that will be delivered to the First Family once they’re settled in. Of course, should the Obamas or the newly appointed White House designer Michael Smith decide to go with any of IKEA’s suggestions, they’ve offered to furnish any room in the White House with IKEA furniture free of charge.

Though the site has a few shortcomings, the overall idea is a good one, and it’s a quick and fun way to interact with IKEA’s catalog in a very unique way. Now we just have to wait and see if Barack and Michelle take America up on any of their suggestions.

The Good:

• Pixel art Oval Office turns IKEA shopping into a game.
• Send to Friend and Send to White House functionality increase the virality of the campaign.
• Sweepstakes rewards longer and more involved participation.
• Mock Oval Offices and Motorcade extend the campaign offline and into the eyes of a new and broad audience.

The Bad:

• Automatically resizing a user’s browser window is intrusive and annoying.
• Lack of a grid, clear boarders and a wide range of options make the virtual Oval Office difficult to navigate.
• Vague Send to White House functionality makes the option less intuitive.
• No Social Bookmarking buttons or Social Networking extensions to further increase the virality of the campaign.

The Future:

• Mini games and quick hit campaigns capitalize on hot trends and allow users to interact with a company’s catalog in a fun and intuitive way.

IKEA Oval Office – Embrace Change

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