IKEA Malaysia pays cheeky tribute to dad naps this Father's Day

IKEA Malaysia kept it real this Father’s Day with a campaign that celebrated something every dad has mastered, falling asleep in his favourite chair.

Created with newly appointed agency Fishermen Integrated, the campaign turned the familiar sight of dad dozing off, remote in hand, into a cheeky and heartwarming tribute. Running across social and digital platforms, the visuals showed dads in their natural element: knocked out cold in IKEA chairs, doing nothing and loving it.

In tandem to visuals, IKEA has released a video on Instagram where various dads are seen resting and reading the IKEA brochure in store. The accompanying text reads "The best dads deserve the best seat in the house". 

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“At IKEA, we believe comfort should feel like home, and dads know that best. Who better to showcase our comfy chairs than the experts already snoozing in them?” said Amanda Low, country marketing manager at IKEA Malaysia.

Andrew Perera, creative director at Fishermen Integrated, said: “Asian dads can fall asleep anywhere, anytime. But there’s always that one chair they’ve claimed as their own. So we thought, why not turn that into a Father’s Day tribute, done the IKEA way?”

The campaign marks the first work under IKEA’s new creative retainer with Fishermen. “It’s always inspiring to collaborate with a brand that’s open to bold, human ideas. This was a fun way to kick things off, and we’re looking forward to what’s ahead,” said Joyce Gan, partner and group servicing account director at Fishermen Integrated.

By turning an everyday dad moment into a celebration, IKEA and Fishermen showed that sometimes the most powerful stories are already happening at home, one dad nap at a time.

IKEA Malaysia has always been known for its cheeky and playful campaigns. Earlier this month, the brand teamed up with The LEGO Group to bring a playful twist to home decor at The Exchange TRX. The activation saw the mall turned into an immersive house tour, where visitors can explore themed interiors styled by IKEA and decorated with LEGO brick builds.

Meanwhile, in Australia, it celebrated 50 years down under by tapping into the nation's love for flatpacks, mateship and meaningful moments made at home. The campaign saw the release of 60-second spot that plays out as a cinematic ode to friendship and the beautiful chaos of starting something new, with IKEA products woven into each scene. 

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