The Affari Blog

Until 1 week ago, I had never even seen an Ikea. I have several Swedish friends who always talk about it, but their national pride has them talking up anything that happens to be of Swedish decent - thus allowing me to discount the praise they had for Ikea. Man, was that a mistake.

Last week I was in Orlando meeting an old friend and had some downtime before meeting him. For some strange reason, I decided to check out the Ikea that everyone raves about. As I pull up I remember laughing to myself. I pulled into a parking lot that I’m 95% never ends and parked next to a gigantic, concrete Swedish flag:

After getting out of my car I waited for tram to come pick me up from my section of the parking lot. After about 5 minutes, I realized they don’t offer tram service (which - by the way - I can’t determine if that’s very-European or un-European of them). I walked in, was greeted by several staff members and stumbled my way to the lone elevator - completely unsure where it was leading me. After walking through some double doors I found myself in a massive showroom. As I walked I found room after room, each with its own set of hip decor and furniture. After seeing some of the cool designs I decided to look at the desks. (Actually, it was a miracle that I found them. This place is huge!) After browsing the desks, I finally found one I wanted and spent about 5 minutes trying to figure out how to buy it. The tag instructed me to go to the self-service area and it had a few numbers that I had to remember until I got there. I decided to keep walking when I got a call from my friend who was calling to let me know he was ready to be picked up.

I briskly walked through the halls of the showroom trying to hurry to the checkout. After about 10 minutes of near-jogging through I found the self-service area/warehouse: a huge room the resembled a Sams Club. I sped past the loading buggies and searched for the desk I picked out. Once I found it, I realized I couldn’t do much without the loading buggy and decided I’d have to call off the purchase. If not for the time-crunch though, I would have a brand new Ikea desk.

So it’s been a week since this venture, and I can’t remember how many people I’ve talked to about the visit. I’ve come to realize a few things about the brand and what really happened last week. I remember blogging a while back about Starbucks and how they use experiential marketing work wonders for them. If you missed it, I argued that by creating such a intimate and comforting atmosphere in each Starbucks store, they connect the brand with all five of the consumer’s senses. It becomes The Starbucks Experience, instead of just going out for a cup of coffee. Well, Ikea has done a very similar thing.

I’ve never been too big into decorating - and after living two years in a fraternity house I’m definitely not too picky when it comes to furniture. So why have I been speaking so highly of Ikea; a furniture and home decor store? Why did I feel like I needed to buy a brand new desk when I have a functioning desk at home? Think about it, I almost made one of the largest impulse buys of my life just because of the rush I got after walking into this showroom. The design and layout of the multi-room setup got me excited from the get go. I was excited enough to say - ‘What do I need?…Well, it’d be kinda cool to have a new desk.’ I was so impressed that my Facebook status became “Nick is obsessed with Ikea” after being inside for FIVE minutes. (And I received several comments on that very status update supporting my newly-formed Ikea obsession.) When it comes down to it, if it weren’t for the time crunch I was in, I’d have that new desk set up in my room right now.

So do it - check out Ikea. It’s a very impressive place with something for everyone - and even more for homeowners. The Tampa store opens in a couple weeks and it’s supposed to be nutty. Pay attention to the news, I’m sure they will be all over it. Why? I’m pretty sure hundreds of people are planning on camping out overnight (and it’s rumored they may camp over several nights) just to be there for the grand opening. Anyone have an extra sleeping bag?

1. Scum Bob Square Pants

I usually love Burger King’s edgy work, but this is an idea that seems to have just gone too far. If you’re going to pay the royalties and go through the trouble of getting Sir Mix A Lot’s infamous Baby Got Back worked into your campaign, let’s try and make it clean. The ad certainly targets children - think about it - it is promoting Kid’s Meals and the new Sponge Bob toys available in them. I just wish they would have done more with such a classic song - at least save it for a brand like AXE.

2. Shameless Signatures

Arrogant? Boastful? Hip? However you take them, the wireless email signatures are showing off and showing up more and more. I wonder how many people fake emails with the wireless signatures. Or how many actually use them as power-moves. Interesting trend in the way business is conducted these days.

3. Eatin’ Good in the Neighborhood

Sorry Applebees - you can’t compare to these local faves. The owners of the Ciccio & Tony’s restaurant chain know what they are doing. They open restaurant after restaurant and continue to deliver success. Mmmmmm.

4. Raysball

Tampa Bay is buzzing about the Rays. Great media coverage, much higher ticket sales, player celebrities and wins have Tampa Bay residents buying into this team.

5. In the Running

Combined Operational Load Bearing External Resistance Treadmill (COLBERT). After denying Colbert the naming rights of a room on the space station (which was to be named by a popular public vote), NASA compromised and agreed to name a treadmill after him. I dig it.

6. Don’t Be Stingy

I just got back from a lunch with Lewis Williams from Burrell - an agency in Chicago that specializes in minority targeted advertising. One of his examples was the above video. They created it to appeal to the loving side of African Americans and created a R&B song to facilitate the message. McNuggets sold, their videos have a million+ hits on youtube and people actually thought it was a real song. I particularly dig the last line of the spot Girl you gotta 10 piece please don’t be stin-jayyyy.

7. I’ll Take a Double Texican Whopper….of a Bad Idea

I thought this post would only slam one of Burger King’s campaigns. Nope. A Mexican ambassador described it as, “improperly us[ing] the stereotypical image of Mexicans.” You’d think somewhere along the line of advertising flow within the agency and Burger King itself, somebody may bring up the notion that depicting the Mexican race with a short, lucha libre character could be a little offensive. It also doesn’t help that the tagline reads: the taste of Texas with a little spicy Mexican. They’ve released back to back campaigns that have brought the company negative press. It’s like a game of limbo: how low will they go?

8. Mastering Mobile Media

Most sports buffs know a good amount about the Masters, which concluded this past Sunday. It’s arguably the most prestigious tournament in the golf community. This year, the Masters made some great strides that I wouldn’t really expect from a sport with a higher-aged target demo. The first image is a screen shot of the iPhone application they offered for free. It kept me in touch with leaderboards, updates and even streamed live footage of the tournament (amazing). The second image shows the Masters’ social media front on Twitter. Updates, insights and news were constantly being fed to Twitter pages and mobile devices - constantly reminding people to watch and follow. They’ve earned a bravo and one well-done.

9. Putting the Rad in Radio

Pandora radio is a lifesaver. It’s a web player that plays music that you should like based on the bands and genres you select. Usually, it’s right on the money. Most clutch while at work, when your current playlist is getting a little old or when at the beach/pool (yes, they have mobile capabilities). Having Pandora radio on my phone has changed the way I lay by the pool forever.

10. My Guilty Pleasure of the Week