Call it emotional manipulation if you must, but Ogilvy Greece’s new ad for Ikea is definitely one of the biggest tearjerkers we’ve seen in years.
The spot for Ikea Greece tells the story of a dog who’s adopted by a loving family, but must leave her best friend behind in the process. In just 90 seconds, the spot manages to tell a powerful story that will stick with any dog lover. (My kids, for the record, have started crying even just thinking about the ad.)
Audiences in Greece have responded quickly and passionately to the ad. “From the very first hours of the campaign’s launch in Greece, the positive reception of the campaign on social media was overwhelming,” the agency said in a statement. “People are writing emotional comments filled with love and enthusiasm.”
Give it a watch, and see if it has a similar effect on you:
“The Ikea home environment is the perfect setting for such a story to unfold,” says Ikea Greece communications manager Ada Gianneskis. “We’re so happy that our story manages to engage and move so many viewers, making our message travel far more than we could have imagined.”
The soundtrack of the ad is “(Where Do I Begin?) Love Story,” originally featured as an instrumental for the 1970 movie Love Story and recorded with lyrics shortly after by Andy Williams.
The agency says its campaign will continue over the coming months, showing other scenarios in which an Ikea-furnished home is the setting for unexpected experiences.
If you liked that one, you might also enjoy revisiting the Disneyland Paris ad from earlier this year about a duckling who idolizes Donald Duck. Hey, sometimes it’s just nice in 2019 to cry for reasons other than existential dread and the crushing weight of our dystopian reality. Also, dogs. Let’s hear it for dogs.
CREDITS:
Client: Ikea Greece
Managing Director: Panos Katiforis
Communications Manager: Ada Gianneskis
Marketing Manager : Natasa Christofi
Creative Agency: Ogilvy Greece
Chief Creative Officer: Panos Sambrakos
Group Creative Director: Christos Koumandos
Creative Directors: Constantinos Melitas, Constantinos Stamatopoulos
Copywriters: Michalis Siamkas, Theodore Kantolas
Art Directors: Vicky Pafa, Nektarios Stergiopoulos
Strategic Planning Director: Georgia Mantidou
Client Service Director: Lena Belibasaki
Business Unit Director: Matina Trigkidou
Account Director: Antouaneta Andreou
Digital Account Director: Alexia Katsifou
Account Manager: Alexandra Skrivanou
Digital Account Manager: Vivian Papazoglou
Production Company: Foss Productions
Director: Salsa
Executive Producer: Veta Chatziioannou
DoP: Menno Mans, Christos Voudouris
