Challenging the idea that affordable means ‘not premium’, IKEA Alsulaiman has launched a campaign in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia that draws a comparison between its furniture and classic fine art pieces.
The campaign’s message is simple: Affordability and timeless quality is not mutually exclusive.
Emphasising this, IKEA Alsulaiman, in partnership with Memac Ogilvy, has showcased several of its furniture that bear an uncanny resemblance to those seen in historically famous paintings. Works by Henri Matisse, Paul Cézanne, Edvard Munch, Hugo Simberg, and Dario Barbosa feature furniture strikingly similar to those found in IKEA today – therefore delivering the idea that IKEA’s designs have stood the test of time, much like the artworks themselves.
“At IKEA, we’ve always believed that great design should be accessible to many, not the few,” said Rami Rihani, Chief Marketing Officer, IKEA Alsulaiman Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
“Affordable Masterpieces is our way of celebrating the timelessness of IKEA design – showing that our furniture isn’t just made for the moment, but for life. When design lasts for generations and feels at home across cultures and eras, that’s true quality. More importantly, they are offered at prices many people can afford.”
View this post on Instagram
On social platforms, video assets zoom out on framed works of art with a voiceover describing the elements within the historic piece. For example Matisse’s Chair With Peaches is described as “Succulent peaches, and a red IKEA Pinntorp. Coincidence? Who’s to say.”
“Affordability has unfairly become shorthand for compromise. With this idea, we wanted to turn that thinking on its head in a way that felt intelligent, surprising, and a little playful,” said Gautam Wadher, Chief Creative Officer at Memac Ogilvy.
“When you realise that furniture forms like IKEA’s have existed in great art through history, the conclusion is simple: good design is timeless. And if it belongs in a museum, it probably belongs in your home too,” he said.
Affordable Masterpieces is IKEA’s move to reclaim the narrative around affordability: No longer a limitation, but furniture that endures the test of time.
Credits:
Client: IKEA Saudi Arabia and Bahrain:
Rami Rihani – Chief Marketing Officer at IKEA Alsulaiman (Saudi Arabia & Bahrain)
Ebba Ourfali – Marketing Manager at IKEA Alsulaiman (Saudi Arabia & Bahrain)
Raneem Kayal – Social Media Leader at IKEA Alsulaiman (Saudi Arabia & Bahrain)
Payaswini Prasad – Marketing Specialist at IKEA Alsulaiman (Saudi Arabia & Bahrain)
Rafal Flimban – Social Media Specialist at IKEA Alsulaiman (Saudi Arabia & Bahrain)
Agency: Memac Ogilvy, UAE
Chief Creative Officer: Gautam Wadher
Managing Partner: Kevin Kurian
Creative Director: Maram Ashour
Senior Art Director: Leomerish Leyco
Senior Copywriter: Wayne Fernandes
Copywriter: Aljazi Aldweesh
Senior Visualizer: Andre Souza
Head of Arabic: Shadi Khamracho
Animator: Antonio Geagea
Graphic Designer: Aya Ramadan
Production Lead: Mohamed Soueid
Agency Producer: Nelly Chahwan
Group Account Director: Ashleigh Morgan
Senior Account Manager: Elsa Gerges
Senior Account Manager: Rami Moussa
Account Executive: Ahmed Mofti
Account Executive: Mohamed El Cheikh
Head of Social: Karl El Hitti
Social Director: Yara Maalouf
Social Account Manager: Juan Mendoza
Senior Social Executive: Layan Abdo
Strategy Director: Rifaat Fakih
Senior Strategy Manager: Yasmina Raydan
Production Company: Papercuts
Executive Producer: Rajaa Chami
