Dive Brief:

• Retailer Ikea is launching a faux nature documentary-style TV spot and four online videos as part of a new campaign, "Save Our Sleep," according to details shared with Marketing Dive.
• The "Planet Sleep" 15-second and 30-second ads, produced by Ogilvy, spotlight a "bedroom sanctuary" where endangered sleep can be saved through solutions like a new lower-priced mattress and ergonomic pillows. Four online videos, which highlight different challenges for sleepers and feature shoppable links, will roll out through September.
• The online videos are produced by Ikea and National Geographic and hosted on a dedicated, co-branded microsite, "National Geographic Bedroom Habits," about the human species facing "one of the most challenging habitats" — the bedroom. The videos will also be available on the National Geographic's Instagram stories and Facebook page, while paid social and display ads aim to extend the campaign's reach.

Dive Insight:

Ikea's mock nature documentary-style videos are part of the retailer's larger, year-long campaign to fight problems around sleep, and present its furnishings as part of the solution. The humorous approach, which parodies "Planet Earth" documentaries and features a David Attenborough soundalike, keeps with the retailer's ongoing efforts to inject humor and non-traditional approaches into its marketing.

In March, for example, Ikea promoted its bedroom furniture with interactive content that paid homage to the classic Indian text on intimate positions, the Kåma Sutra. Its version, "The IKEA Kåma Sutra: The Ultimate Guide to Bedroom Satisfaction," offered a shoppable online catalog with 20 different furniture "positions." The online guide followed the company's decision to shift resources from print catalogs to digital.

However, Ikea has not given up on print advertising altogether. In 2018, it preceded the current anti-sleepiness campaign with a print ad that emitted white noise and a lavender aroma that aimed to help readers fall asleep. To make the ad more functional, a reader could rip out the insert and assemble it into a paper standup to sit on a nightstand. Similarly, the company ran an ad for a baby crib in a Swedish women's magazine that doubled as a real pregnancy test. If the test showed positive, a family discount for a crib appeared along with it.

By teaming with National Geographic, Ikea adds some credibility to its nature documentary parody. The nature magazine and network previously partnered with WeWork on an experiential campaign to promote a limited series on the dot-com bubble.