IKEA ASKS PM TO SIT ON IT!!!

In a cheeky ad in yesterday’s Sydney Morning Herald, IKEA Australia asks Prime Minister John Howard “to sit on it” in response to the much publicised claims by WA Liberal MP Don Randall that people can’t really expect the Prime Minister to go to IKEA and put together “dodgy chairs”. Mr Randall’s comments were in defense of the PM’s purchase of more than $200,000 worth of new chairs for the Cabinet room.
Created by its new agency HOST Sydney, in conjunction with creative partner The Glue Society, the IKEA ad states, “We respectfully ask Prime Minister John Howard to sit on it”, and shows an image of the JERRIK swivel chair at only $569, which is significantly better value than the almost $3000 paid for each one of the PM’s chairs.
There has been intense media interest in the debate about the quality of IKEA chairs following the news from IKEA Australia CEO Kent Nordin that many dignitaries and embassies around the world have purchased IKEA furniture and are very satisfied with its quality and design.
“Even the King and Queen of Sweden have bought our furnishings and we are currently in talks with the Swedish Embassy here to provide a considerable amount of furniture for its Canberra offices. We would be very happy to talk to the Prime Minister too,” he said. “We can even offer him an assembly service if he doesn’t feel confident enough to put the furniture together himself.”
Yesterday’s ad has also attracted extensive media coverage on TV and radio news and talk back programs. The ad is HOST’s first piece of work for IKEA, and according to Client Service Director Matt Cooney, the relationship has started as it means to go on. “We love to create work that people talk about, and we’re delighted that our first ad for IKEA has got people doing just that,” he said.