IKEA's Innovative Billboard Spreads Sunshine to Shady Cafés

The Swedish summer can be unpredictable and often quite cold. But in a new outdoor campaign from IKEA, made in collaboration with Åkestam Holst NoA, the brand aims to maximise the available sun hours.

A specially built billboard, controlled by a GPS motor, reflects natural sunlight to outdoor seating areas that would otherwise be in the shade. Thanks to the GPS, the mirror's angle is automatically adjusted in real time according to the sun's position to ensure a moment of warmth.

"Making the most of one’s resources is at the heart of IKEA. That's why the idea felt just right,” says Rickard Beskow, copywriter at Åkestam Holst NoA.

The campaign went live in week 24 in Stockholm, Sweden, at selected locations. The hope is to take the installation on a larger tour in the future to help chilly café-goers across the country

“We know how crowded outdoor seating areas can get when the sun comes out. At the same time, it’s a bit sad for us at IKEA to see outdoor furniture standing empty and alone in the shade. To give people more places to enjoy the sun and to ensure that more outdoor furniture is used, we created this initiative, which has been praised by both visitors and café owners,” says Jonas Westberg, marketing communication leader at IKEA Sweden.

“As is often the case in IKEA’s campaigns, the product is the hero; this time, it is the NISSEDAL mirror that gets to shine a bit extra. At its core, it’s a simple innovation that represents what IKEA stands for: smart solutions for the many people,” says Michal Sitkiewicz, art director at Åkestam Holst.

The campaign was developed by the agency Åkestam Holst NoA together with Havelle & Ocean Outdoor.