Nothing sells furniture like a herd of cats, right? IKEA UK released one hundred furry friends throughout its Wembley store; video taped the cat chaos and placed the stunt on YouTube.  Over 2,063,867 people (AKA potential customers) have viewed the youtube video and turned the innocent marketing scheme into a feline phenomenon.

The stunt was executed to introduce the retailer’s new “Happy Inside” brand positioning in addition to launching the company’s 2011 cat-alogue.  Genius?  We think so. Continuing the momentum, people can interact on IKEA’s Cat Facebook page and users can win pieces of furniture by simply guessing which sofa the cats found most comfortable.  Would you buy the same couch that Connie Calico liked?

So have IKEA sales skyrocketed since the stunt went public?  Currently, nothing has been reported.  However, you can bet your cat nip that brand awareness and overall interest in IKEA has increased.  The IKEA facebook page also probably doubled in friend requests, all from potential customers who would like to take 5 minutes out of their day to try and win a piece of furniture. They are most likely already on facebook during the work day, so why not make IKEA a new “FB Friend.”

This type of marketing stunt is inexpensive and attracts an amazing amount of attention.  While consumers watch the kitty’s rummage around the store, viewers are exposed to the new furniture and BOOM – purchasing decisions could be made.  “I didn’t know IKEA had that book shelf.”  Sold.

The final advertisement can be seen below.

Domus, Inc. is an integrated digital and traditional marketing communications agency that delivers unconventional thinking and out-of-the-box strategies that help our clients sustain growth and demand brand awareness.  For more information, please visit us at http://www.domusinc.com.