These 3 Ikea campaigns will make you smile

Ikea is a bit of an outlier in some ways. There's no other retail space quite like it, and there aren't many other retailers who can boast people go there as a 'day out'. Its strong yellow and blue branding adds to the appeal, with a logo that's up there with the best logos around.

Some might say Ikea doesn't need to advertise, but we're certainly glad it does. Its quirky and innovative spots always make us smile. Here are just a few of our favourite stunts from the last year:

01. MTV Cribs parody

This tongue in cheek campaign was an amusing pastiche of MTV's Cribs, which was popular in the early 2000s. It shows a host showing people round his house, showing off all the space-saving and cost-saving measures it contains  – a far cry from the opulence of Cribs. Of course it manages to show off a fair few Ikea products along the way.

02. Proudly second best

This campaign sees Ikea state that something is better than its products – which we don't often see in advertising. The spot shows how children will often prefer their parents to Ikea's offering, with Ikea declaring itself 'proudly second best'. The scenarios are relatable and sweet, and show how the products are affordable enough to be 'second best'.

03. Blue bag on scaffolding

Ikea is coming to London's Oxford Street and while it's being built, the company has disguised the building site by covering it with one of its iconic giant blue bags. This isn't the first time that Ikea's used its blue bag in marketing, it also created a giant sculpture out of one in the US. It's definitely one way to get noticed.

For more Ikea branding, see the time it took a bite out of Apple, and the time it made an ad for Ronaldo.