Like a baby - IKEA | Clapboard Ad Archive

IKEA’s 2017 campaign Like a baby, created by Grey Poland, deploys a striking visual metaphor to express the enduring comfort of home, positioning the brand as an essential anchor for every stage of life within the retail sector. The film follows two babies who awaken in their bedroom, only to age rapidly throughout the day, maturing into adults before returning to their infant selves as they drift back to sleep, a narrative loop that elegantly sidesteps linear storytelling in favor of symbolic resonance. By leveraging this transformation, the campaign makes a memorable statement: the comfort and rest experienced in an IKEA bedroom sets the stage for the kind of restorative, innocent sleep one associates with early childhood. In line with Clapboard’s taxonomy, the creative approach sits squarely in FORMAT#9—Symbolize the Benefit, as the exaggerated aging cycle powerfully conveys the universal appeal and reliability of the brand’s product experience rather than relying on literal demonstrations or explicit claims. The Polish-language spot, while locally grounded, communicates globally relevant emotions—nostalgia, reassurance, and the continuity of familial bonds fostered in a home environment designed for real life. Grey Poland’s decision to forgo overt lifestyle montage or product-centric close-ups in favor of a cyclical, human-focused mechanic not only enhances the emotional register but also reinforces IKEA’s differentiated role in shaping meaningful day-to-day rituals. The creative device of adults reverting to their baby selves at bedtime inventively strips away adult pretense, inviting viewers to reconnect with the primal need for safety and comfort—a promise IKEA aspires to deliver through its accessible product design and curated domestic environments. The campaign’s reception underscores its resonance among viewers, reflected in sustained positive engagement and discussions about childhood, aging, and the spaces that shape our deepest memories. In an era when brand storytelling often gravitates toward the hyperbolic or the functional, Like a baby signals a reaffirmation of subtlety and depth in retail advertising, using metaphor to elevate product benefit into genuine emotional territory. Clapboard rates this 63/100. IKEA’s Like a baby matters for the industry because it demonstrates how retail communication can transcend product utility by rooting brand promise in the cyclical, universal moments that define the experience of home.