Why the Ikea Ad That You Pee on Is (Maybe) Not as Weird as You Thought

Åkestam Holst gives us the backstory

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Ikea is no stranger to generating buzz with its advertising. But the brand’s first viral ad of 2018 is unusual, even so.

The magazine ad, running in Sweden, encourages the reader to pee on it. If she does so, and is pregnant, the ad reveals previously invisible text offering a discounted price on a crib—using similar technology that pregnancy tests use to show a positive result.

Reaction has been mostly positive—the ad is undeniably clever, after all, and has gotten a huge amount of attention.

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