2009 Platinum PR Awards: Media Relations—IKEA & MWW Group/Deutsch

Americans Embrace Change with IKEA

To elevate the status of its newly upgraded Washington, DC-area stores in January 2009, global blockbuster brand IKEA decided to leverage the upcoming Inauguration Day, as well as President Barack Obama’s ubiquitous “Change” platform, with its own “Embrace Change ‘09” campaign.

With the help of MWW Group and its strategic joint ad agency partner Deutsch, the team launched two key events in DC to attract media attention: a full-sized recreation of the Oval Office (furnished entirely by IKEA) in Union Station, and a faux Presidential motorcade around DC with the limo carting IKEA furniture on the roof and in the trunk.

The events, coupled with aggressive media outreach, delivered IKEA’s most successful PR campaign ever, generating nearly 500 million media impressions and 60+ minutes of broadcast coverage. ■

Honorable Mentions:

HP & Hill & Knowlton: HP + EDS: Becoming One HP—The campaign successfully generated media hits related to the announcement of HP’s EDS acquisition, the merger close and HP’s Securities Analyst Meeting, collectively generating more than 250 stand-alone articles in top-tier outlets.

American Airlines & Weber Shandwick: Surfing at 30,000 Feet—The media relations campaign surrounding the launch of American Airlines’ in-flight Internet service resulted in a 6% “take” rate, 90% message pull-through and 970 media placements.

October 26, 2009