IKEA uses more ‘human approach’ for 2018 catalogue

In a truly impressive creative move, IKEA together with their army of creative minds at BBH Singapore have released their 2018 catalogue campaign using a more ‘human’ approach in the form of Yanjaa Wintersoul —  two – time world memory champion.

The 23-yr-old has learned and memorised every detail of the 2018 IKEA Catalogue — all 328 pages of it — in just one week and is now the face of IKEA’s 2018 Catalogue launch for the Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand markets.

The campaign kicks off with a series of content films, digital and social activities, print and out of home, and debuts with The IKEA Human Catalogue Test Film which takes viewers on a journey of how IKEA auditioned and tested Yanjaa’s extraordinary skills.

In a press statement, Creative Director of BBH Singapore Nikhil Panjwani said, “I’m forgetting the details, but I vaguely remember this idea being born in a workshop somewhere.

“I have a fleeting memory of the meeting room where our amazing client took a giant leap of faith and gave us a go-ahead. I faintly recollect telling someone that even if we had hired the best talent scout in Hollywood, we wouldn’t have been able to find someone as amazing and charismatic as Yanjaa.”

While Mike King, IKEA South East Asia Retail Director added, “The iconic IKEA Catalogue is something we are very proud of.

“Each year we celebrate its launch as we believe it is the go – to home furnishing inspiration for many people and it has been that way for years. This year we are very proud of the fun we are having with BBH and Yanjaa, further strengthening the link between people and home furnishings.

“After all, inspiring and challenging people to relook at their homes has been the main purpose of the IKEA Catalogue for all these years.”

The annual IKEA Catalogue is IKEA’s main marketing communications tool and is anticipated the world over and is in its 66th year.

The edition’s theme is to ‘Make room for life’ allowing everyone to easily make their dream home come true and showcases over 400 new products including a series of collaborations with world famous designers such as British designer Tom Dixon and Danish design house Hay.