Did IKEA just kill UK Grime?

Do you remember when your parents started using slang words that were only used by your mates? It was awkward, right? You stopped using them.

Brands can have an equally awkward habit of the same weird flex, but ok.

18 years ago, the BRIT awards crowned UK Garage group So Solid Crew with the best video award for 21 Seconds. It is seen by some that this was a turning point for the cultural perception of the brand of UK Garage. It became commercial and destroyed its founding principles.

It’s 2019 and the IKEA Christmas Grime ad is here…

If you squint you can see the approach of this campaign. But something here is very awkward and we’re closing in on two brands—UK Grime and IKEA— destroying their own principles.

Ad Agency Pitch: It’s a funny ad with a dis grime battle rap from cuddly toys aimed at a family getting their home together for Christmas.
The Awkward: The word shame. This is a powerful word. A deep critique on your worth and representation to others. Multiply this by the toughest time of the year for some families. Mental wellbeing?
Subtext: Families are in continued tough times globally and they are more aware of the divide in wealth than ever before, it’s now our everyday spiral of political mess. Even the size of their house is up for grabs here
Distraction: We have all been sold to using the “show your best self” and everyone likes funny grime songs, right? Stormzy played Glasto this year guys! Come on. Also, it’s just a rapping T-Rex.
IKEA’s Problem: their vision is — “To create a better everyday life for the many people” — this campaign message isn’t for the many, it’s actually for the very few. Those with enough capital to do home upgrades while paying for presents, food, booze and more.
Grimes Problem: you just rapped about buying an IKEA folding table. Awkward. Who’s brand is next on your list? Pepsi?
Perhaps it would have been less awkward to have an ad that focused on families upgrading their everyday lives not just a short lived shameful view on being judged at Christmas.
My pitch: Don’t buy yourself some AirPods you melt, buy your family something they can use all year round designed for a compact living space.
It’s 2019, I doubt anyone will think Grime has peaked by rapping for IKEA, everything is a remix, re-memed and upside down. I just don’t think it’s that cool to rap about folding tables — a bit like being on the BRIT awards.

Written by
Lawrence Brown on 8th November 2019

Make it more uncomfortable

Recently, I’ve been thinking about when is the best time to get someones attention. How could your message be interpreted and received by editing simple variables?

I walk past this campaign / idea / initiative(?) every day

It’s very pretty. Well done Design team. Pretty stuff is the big idea of the Westfield mall. However, I can’t help feeling there are two huge opportunities missed here, and perhaps a vacant mall unit is not the place for this…

Why are there no actual signs of homelessness here — just this sign?
Why isn’t this positioned where dwell time meets audiences consideration — paying for your parking, walking out of the mall, next to the actual pavement?

I’m going to take a bet why.

Because it’s too uncomfortable for these brands to have these reminders next to your shopping session, the brief was about being pretty next to the other pretty retailers +use RFID please.

How effective is this thing if it’s not actually stopping people?

The space should be used to rotate a real story, a real person and real objects, that you have to really deal with as you pass through.

Make it more uncomfortable.

Written by
Lawrence Brown on 16th July 2019