IKEA turns desktops into digital showrooms with ‘Iconic Outdoors'
Outdoor season is officially here, and with it comes the search for the perfect outdoor furnishings. Gardens, balconies, patios, terraces, and campout spots are all waiting to be transformed into inviting spaces. Al-Futtaim IKEA decided to take a fresh approach to inspiring customers – by bringing its outdoor collection to a place where people already spend much of their time: their computer desktops.
Through its digital campaign 'Iconic Outdoors,' Al-Futtaim IKEA transformed its entire outdoor collection into downloadable desktop icons, available on its website. Instead of traditional product showcases, the campaign turned IKEA furniture into playful, interactive design elements, allowing users to furnish their digital landscapes just as they would in real life.
'IKEA is already well known in the UAE, so we asked ourselves, 'What else can we furnish?' and we landed on where people spend most of their time – their desktop,' says Carla Klumpenaar, General Manager of Marketing and Communications at Al-Futtaim IKEA UAE, Qatar, Egypt, and Oman. 'While the primary goal was awareness, the campaign's interactive nature naturally encouraged engagement. By allowing users to deconstruct, recreate, and play with the campaign visuals, we gave them full control over the experience, turning the campaign into a creative, hands-on activity.'
The campaign launched with three videos, each furnishing a different scenic wallpaper – a desert campout, a beach, and a grassy plain. The digital-first initiative allowed users to replace standard folder icons with miniature IKEA outdoor products, reinforcing the idea that the brand can help turn any outdoor space into a retreat. The experience extended to social media, where Al-Futtaim IKEA uploaded the outdoor icons to GIPHY, enabling users to create virtual setups on Instagram Stories. A competition further encouraged engagement, with three winners having their designs showcased on digital screens inside IKEA stores.
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'Iconic Outdoors was all about making IKEA the first choice for outdoor furniture in a way that stood out,' Klumpenaar explains. 'Engagement was measured through downloads of the icons and user-generated setups. This unique and interactive approach ensured IKEA stayed top of mind for outdoor furniture.'
The campaign also revealed some interesting insights. 'The NÄMMARÖ collection remains a fan favourite—even in digital form. It's our most popular outdoor collection, and it's the one most people seemed to opt for when furnishing with the icons,' says Klumpenaar. 'Another interesting takeaway was the lack of pattern in the types of backgrounds people chose for their visuals. We got gardens, balconies, public parks, beaches, and some images chosen off Google. People were freestyling with it, which was really fun to see.'
By transforming digital spaces into interactive brand experiences, Al-Futtaim IKEA took a playful yet strategic approach to outdoor season marketing. The campaign didn't just showcase furniture—it encouraged creativity, engagement, and personalisation, turning the simple act of browsing into an immersive experience.
Once users had designed their dream outdoor setup on screen, the natural next step was to bring that vision to life in their own homes. And, as IKEA cleverly reminds us, once your desktop retreat is perfectly furnished, it might be time to shut your laptop and step outside for real.
Credits
Memac Ogilvy Dubai
Hadi Ballout – Managing Director, Advertising – UAE
Moemen Metwally – Creative Director
Alicia McBride – Senior Art Director
Carl Khoury – Senior Copywriter
Joseph Al Khabbaz – Senior Graphic Designer
Karl Hitti – Head of Social
Ahmed Nour – Social Director
Yara Maalouf – Senior Social Account Manager
Layan Abdo – Social Account Executive
Dana Salama – Community Manager
Dina ElKharaz – Community Manager
Kevin Kurian – Business Director
Alaa Nour – Account Director
Georges Enkiri – Senior Account Manager
Nicole Correia – Senior Account Executive
Al-Futtaim IKEA
Carla Klumpenaar: GM Marketing, Communication & Interior Design.
IKEA United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt and Oman
Dina Al Sahhar: Regional Marketing Manager
IKEA United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt and Oman
Jay Quadras: Regional Digital Marketing Leader
IKEA United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt and Oman
Mohamed Maihoob: Regional Marketing Specialist
IKEA United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, and Oman
Houda Sfar: Regional Marketing Specialist
IKEA United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, and Oman
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