CreativityWith a Little TLC, This Swedish Magazine Ad Will Turn Into a Pot of FlowersOne man’s trash is another man’s springtime decorBy Minda Smiley|May 15, 2019The ad, which is made from plantable seed-paper, promotes a flower pot that consumers can use to plant the seeds, which come from flowers including snapdragons, catchflies and daisies.Clas OhlsonShareBy Minda Smiley|May 15, 2019ShareInteractive magazine inserts are apparently becoming a thing in Sweden. First, Ikea came at us with an ad that pregnant women could pee on to reveal discounts on a crib, and now Swedish hardware chain Clas Ohlson has concocted a similar idea (albeit, one that’s less … bizarre) to sell its gardening paraphernalia.Rather than urine, this ad just requires a bit of water and sunlight to thrive, as it’s full of flower seeds. The ad, which is made from plantable seed-paper, promotes a flower pot that consumers can use to plant the seeds, which come from flowers including snapdragons, catchflies and daisies.Swedish ad agency King helmed the idea in an effort to illustrate how easy it is to prep your home for spring. Ellen Marklund, copywriter at King, said the agency decided to “make the media our message” to drive home the point. Starting this week, the ad is being published in select magazines in Sweden as part of Clas Ohlson’s spring campaign.According to King, the interactive element was partly created in response to the general distaste that Swedes have towards advertising; a recent study by the Association for Swedish Advertisers found that 50% of Swedes have a negative attitude towards it.By making something that at least serves a purpose (if you’re into gardening), Clas Ohlson is hoping that its target audience will find it useful instead of distracting.Credits:Client: Clas Ohlson Jeff Jackett, Group Head of Marketing and BrandAgency: King Executive Creative Director: Frank Hollingworth Creative Director/Copywriter: Christoffer Dymling Art Director: Linnea Gardefjord Copywriter: Ellen Marklund Account Supervisor: Sunit Mehrotra Planner: Per Wilson Account Director: Tom Hedström Account Manager: Lena Ivarsson Video production: Marcus Frendberg and Henrik Eriksson Adweek Adweek