IKEA: “Lamp”
An old desk lamp is thrown out in the rain, until a Swedish man tells us we're crazy to feel sorry for it.
- Brand
- IKEA
- Year
- 2002
- Agency
- Crispin Porter + Bogusky
- Category
- Retail
A woman replaces her old red desk lamp and leaves it out on the street. It rains. The lamp looks up sadly at her window, where a new lamp now shines warmly. The music is melancholic. Then a man with a Swedish accent walks into the frame: "Many of you feel bad for this lamp. That is because you're crazy. It has no feelings. And the new one is much better."
Directed by Spike Jonze for Crispin Porter + Bogusky in 2002, the ad was part of an IKEA campaign encouraging Americans to update their homes more often.
It is a masterclass in surprise: the ad spends almost a minute making you feel sad for an object, then laughs at you for it. It won a Grand Prix at Cannes.
Watch the full ad on YouTube
Could you recognise it with the logo hidden? This ad is one of 129 famous commercials in Guess the Ad.
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