Ikea Made 10 Special 'Love Seats' for This Pride Campaign

To celebrate the diversity and richness of the LGBTQ+ community, Ikea Canada created 10 one-of-a-kind “Love Seats” decorated in the colors of different Pride flags.

Each seat corresponds to a specific sexual identity, such as asexual, bisexual, lesbian, non-binary, pansexual and transgender. Top designers Charlotte Carbone, Ali Haider, Bianca Daniela Nachtman and Madison Van Rijn crafted the slipcovers.

This project trailer breaks it down:

Developed with creative agency Rethink and timed to Pride Month, the initiative also spotlights 10 LGBTQ+ folks who pose on the loveseats that represent them best.

“The love story that I want to share is my love for community,” says Marisa, a nonbinary person, in the interview clip below. “It is when I found community that I really started to feel comfortable and really felt loved.”

Next, Jules and partner Michael discuss their relationship in simple yet powerful terms that speak to the universal need for acceptance and connection:

“Any trans person will tell you that dating, establishing connections, relationships—that is one of the most daunting things, because you’re never sure if the person is going to accept you, not accept you,” Jules says.

Such themes intensify in Brianna’s story, with asexuality posing challenges en route to enlightened self-awareness:

“It was important for us to open the aperture on what a love story can be, from romantic love to self-love to community love,” says Claudia Mayne, director of brand marketing at Ikea Canada.

The initiative strives to salute “all these different identities in a way that only Ikea could,” adds Rethink creative director Joel Holtby. Comfy, cozy loveseats provided an apt, on-brand metaphor, with Pride-flag colors driving home the message, he says.

The loveseats will visit Ikea showrooms for various Pride festivities and appear at LGBTQ+ panels and programs nationwide.

You can watch more “Love Seat” videos below:

Ikea has been a staunch LGBTQ+ community supporter in recent years, displaying its Pride with progress flags, rainbow merchandise, and by generating donations for the cause.

Prideful efforts from Rethink on behalf of advocacy group Emergence Foundation include this plugin that replaced homophobic Twitter speech with rainbow flags, and a Montreal street installation against online hate that stirred up significant controversy.

CREDITS

Title: Love Seats
Client: IKEA

Agency: Rethink
CCO: Aaron Starkman
Executive Creative Director: Mike Dubrick
Head of Art & Creative Director: Joel Holtby
Associate Creative Director & Art Director: Caroline Friesen
Associate Creative Director & Copywriter: Robbie Percy
Designer: Erin Struble
Strategist: Shereen Ladha
Chief Strategy Officer: Sean McDonald
Director Of Broadcast / Producer: Shelby Spigelman
Broadcast Producers: Spencer Houghton, Anna Tricinci
Director of Print Production: AJ Merrick
Production Artist: Shane Finigan
Production House: Undivided Creative
Production House Producer: Scott Houghton
Director: Kobi Ntiri
DOP: Nina Djacic
Photographer: Joe Bulawan
Behind-The-Scenes Videography: Bradley Golding
Photo Retoucher: Joe Bulawan / Shane Finigan
Post Production House: School Editing
Editor: Lauren Horn, Lynn Sheehy
Assistant Editor: Fiona Alvarez
Post Production Producer: Yumi Suyama
Transfer & On-Line: Emmett Maloney
Audio House: Grayson Matthews
Audio Director/ Engineer: Brian Bernard
Music Director: Rich Hamilton
Audio Producer: Nicholas Shaw
Date of First Appearance: June 24, 2021
Account Services:
Sarah Riedlinger, Group Account Director
Megan Christopher, Account Manager
Spencer Boyle, Account Intern
Catherine Blouin-Mainville, Account Director (FR)
Gabrielle Bergeron, Account Manager (FR)

Client:
Johanna Andren, Chief Marketing Officer
Claudia Mayne, Director of Brand Marketing
Jordan Sequeira, Marketing Communications Specialist
Vanessa Herz, Integrated Media Leader
Lisa Huie, Public Relations Leader
Kayla Gosselin, Online Content Specialist

Other Credits:

Loveseat Designers:
Bianca Daniela Nachtman
Madison Van Rijn
Ali Haider
Charlotte Carbone

Media: Carat
Karen Hrstic, VP – Group Account Director
Vanessa Coutinho, Associate Account Director
Faizal Shaikh, Account Supervisor
Monalyn Quelnat, Media Planner
Crystal Kim, Media Coordinator

CRM: Wunderman Thompson