IKEA marks arrival in NZ with ‘IKEA, Everywhere’ campaign via Havas Host and Mindshare NZ

IKEA has officially landed in Aotearoa New Zealand, launching with a fully localised market-entry campaign, “IKEA, Everywhere” developed by Havas Host. Welcoming Kiwis into the world of the iconic Swedish retailer, it opens the doors to its first ever New Zealand store at Sylvia Park. With just a few days into opening, excitement continues to build as New Zealanders experience IKEA in-store, and see the brand appear across the country in familiar, distinctly Kiwi ways.

Shot in New Zealand by Match Artists’ Fraser Clements and in Australia by The Pool Collective’s Danny Eastwood, “IKEA, Everywhere” marks the first full-funnel brand campaign purpose-built for the New Zealand market. It blends globally recognised brand assets with a deep understanding of Kiwi culture, homes and humour.

Backed by insights from the first New Zealand edition of IKEA’s Life at Home Report, which studied 500 Kiwi homes to uncover their needs and dreams for everyday living, IKEA’s arrival responds to a gap in the local home-furnishing market. For years, New Zealand shoppers have navigated a landscape where choice often felt limited. The iconic retailer now bridges that gap, offering 7,500 well-designed, well-priced products and a shopping experience made for life across the country. As Kiwis continue to discover the range, the campaign mirrors the real-life experience of IKEA suddenly becoming part of everyday life – on streets, screens, in conversations, and in homes.

“IKEA, Everywhere” taps into the familiar experience where, once something is on your mind, you start noticing it all around you. Creating a platform that reflects the real-life excitement spreading across New Zealand.

Launch week kicked off with a locally tailored Day One takeover, featuring 25 region-specific creative executions, each spotlighting AI-enhanced hero products that resonate with local environments and lifestyles. Whether in Tāmaki Makaurau, Waikato, Wellington, Canterbury or Southland, communities saw creative that felt made for them – not just placed near them.

This hyper-local approach set the tone for IKEA’s entry: global scale paired with local understanding.

The campaign integrates cultural markers that make the work unmistakably Kiwi – most notably a local voice talent who first navigates famously tricky Swedish product names before effortlessly delivering the country’s longest place name Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu.

These touches were designed to spark recognition and warmth, showing that IKEA hasn’t just arrived – it’s been paying attention.

Before opening day, the brand orchestrated a 10-day nationwide countdown, using OOH spectaculars, digital takeovers, social, and online video to build momentum across Aotearoa. The countdown created a sense of shared anticipation, making IKEA feel present everywhere long before the doors opened.

IKEA Family has played an important role in the launch, with tailored messages thanking early supporters across major cities and regions. From Hamilton to Christchurch, the brand acknowledged the thousands of Kiwis who signed up before opening – reinforcing its commitment to community, connection and long-term relationships.

Says Erin Falconer, Head of Marketing Communications, IKEA Australia and New Zealand: “Bringing IKEA to New Zealand is an exciting milestone for us. We’ve listened closely to what Kiwis want in their homes and lives, and ‘IKEA, Everywhere’ reflects those local insights. From clever and affordable solutions to everyday essentials and our global icons, this campaign shows how IKEA can make life at home better for Kiwis, everywhere. And were doing it with a local twinkle to show Kiwis how were really relevant for them.”

The media approach was designed to amplify the feeling of IKEA being everywhere, using iconic brand symbols – like the FRAKTA bag- across OOH, social, TV, BVOD, online video, audio, homepage takeovers, and PR. The campaign makes IKEA impossible to miss, embedding the brand in Kiwi culture and establishing it as a major new retail force.

Says Peter Moore, Head of Integrated Media, IKEA Australia and New Zealand: “Our approach with ‘IKEA, Everywhere’ is about meeting Kiwis where they are – on screens, online, on the street and in their communities. By combining high-impact media with iconic IKEA design cues and local relevance, we’re making sure the excitement of IKEA’s arrival is felt everywhere, showing the brand is part of everyday New Zealand life.”

Says Pete Sherrah, Associate Creative Director, Havas Host: “This campaign was about more than bringing IKEA to New Zealand – it was about understanding how the brand can fit seamlessly into Kiwi life. From giant FRAKTA installations to small surprises in unexpected places, and featuring the iconic IKEA range, we wanted the campaign to spark curiosity and delight while celebrating the brand’s playful spirit. ‘IKEA, Everywhere’ shows how IKEA can be part of the everyday – from homes and offices to streets and communities – making the brand feel natural, familiar, and undeniably Kiwi.”

With the store now open and launch week underway, the campaign will continue to evolve—spotlighting IKEA products in everyday Kiwi environments and embedding the brand into the fabric of life across Aotearoa.

IKEA New Zealand
Havas Host
Mindshare NZ
Fraser Clements (Match Artists)
Danny Eastwood (Pool Collective)

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