Page 30 - Internationalist Magazine 2013 66

Footlocker, Ikea, Magic

Black Friday Mittens
PHD (Local)
MediaCom (Local)

In the U.S., “Black The IKEA catalogue is

Friday” is the
world famous, and in
Superbowl of the Norway it was about

retail shopping
to go digital for the
year. Footlocker’s irst time.

target
The launch of the
is well-versed in new iPad version

sneaker culture
was good news for

and craves the brand as many of
authenticity in the
IKEA’s key customers

gear he buys - to were becoming less
him, it’s all about responsive to direct

a look that’s real
mail, the standard
and getting his
distribution method

look right is for the catalogue.
essential. During a week cluttered
But IKEA’S irst iPad catalogue was no different from the

with discount messaging how would Foot Locker
paper version, and they needed a USP. Tablet penetration
stand out and be noticed among discerning sneaker was growing massively fast in Norway .

enthusiasts? In 2012, Foot Locker decided to take a very

different approach.
The solution would have to relect IKEA’S reputation for
smart simple design, while at the same time, resonate

They advertised the most expensive and rare products strongly with our digitally-savvy target audience of urban
during the highest volume shopping day of the year.
females. In Norway it gets cold in the winter, very cold.

It was counterintuitive, it was uncomfortable. And it So IKEA gave consumers a solution they could warm
was an amazing opportunity to break through. To catch up to: touch screen mittens. While tablet users would

the target’s eye Footlocker had to follow him through a often use their device at home, they were also highly
premium curated media experience in the same way the portable and few among our target group would leave the

consumer hunts for exclusive sneakers. This called for
house without their iPad or iPhone. In February, when

a next-generation retail media plan to take him on the the iPad catalogue was due to go live, temperatures can
ultimate premium hunt; away from the noise of the week fall as low as -20°C. This presented IKEA with a unique

leading up to Black Friday. Footlocker designed a sneaker opportunity to create something simple, functional and
hunt thorough media around the consumer’s passion effective, while being totally in line with IKEA’s design

points to lure and lead the target to stores come Black values. A brand new IKEA product was created: BER̈RA,
Friday. That week is a busy one it equals NFL and NBA literally meaning ‘to touch’. It consisted of conductive

games and sneaker releases. The Premium Sneaker Hunt thread and came complete with IKEA packaging and
had the consumer discovering the hottest future sneaker the familiar cartoon instruction lealet. By simply

launches via inluential “sneakerheads”, brands and word sewing the conductive thread through a pair of gloves or

of mouth, built anticipation around when and where the mittens, it would allow our customers to use them with
sneaker releases would happen, the “drop” in store where touchscreens. This would not only solve Norway’s winter

waiting in line for sneakers becomes an event in itself touchscreen problem but also enable our target of tablet
and then showing them off to friends though sneaker users to sample the new iPad catalogue on the go. I

communities.
Gizmodo echoed the sentiment with the popular gadget

Footlocker’s custom NBA star teaser video led to over guide remarking, “We’ve seen touchscreen gloves before,
1.6MM organic views, with total views exceeding 2.8MM, but the idea that any glove could be a touchscreen glove is

drawing in the attention of their core, in-the-know target the kind of bigger hammer thinking we’ve come to expect
that ampliied our message further. Footlocker Q4 2012 from IKEA. Well done”. In fact all 12,000 BER̈RA units

comparable store sales increased 9.4%.They also saw were snapped up in just 2 weeks. IKEA experienced click

success in social as well with the campaign delivering thru rates of 8.95% compared to an industry norm of
+122% video engagements and 2x fans on Facebook.
0.09% and the main objectives were met, IKEA reached

22% of our target audience of women aged 25-45 and
Norway’s iPad catalogue is the most downloaded per

capita on the planet.

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