As IKEA describes, "Belgium is a gray" and to brighten up the city, the 'Choose Color' campaign was set up, literally infusing the city with bold, bright colors.
The campaign involved setting up a series of vibrantly-hued billboards that from afar, just seemed like big paint chips. From a distance, the only elements that were visible on the billboard were a big splash of color, the IKEA logo and a price tag, that seemed to be floating in the middle of the ad for no reason. But upon getting closer to the ads, people would soon see a very faint blueprint-like outline for one of IKEA's products.
Since it seems fairly odd for a poster to be essentially advertising the color green for $24.99, the ads incite curiosity and encourage people to look at them a little more closely.
Colorfully Hidden Product Ads
IKEA'a Products Are Almost Invisible in the 'Choose Color' Ads
Trend Themes
1. Immersive Advertising - The 'Choose Color' campaign implies a new immersive advertising trend.
2. Stealthy Product Placement - Using stealthy outlines of products in billboards may be the next trend in product placement advertising.
3. Interactive Marketing - The curious design of the IKEA 'Choose Color' campaign shows a potential for interactive marketing strategies.
Industry Implications
1. Advertising - The 'Choose Color' campaign could set a precedent for advertising companies to create immersive ad campaigns.
2. Product Placement - Companies that utilize stealth product placement could see increased engagement from curious customers.
3. Market Research - Interactive marketing campaigns like the IKEA 'Choose Color' could offer valuable insights to market researchers about consumer behavior.