IKEA SG finds room for the memories we can't throw away

IKEA Singapore is putting the memories tucked away in cupboards, boxes and bedrooms at the heart of its latest brand film, following a childhood toy that finds its way home decades after being left behind.

Titled "Goldie", the film follows a girl and her soft toy dog from childhood into adulthood, exploring how the objects people accumulate at home can become markers of different stages of their lives.

Once the girl's constant companion, Goldie gradually gets forgotten as she grows older. When she eventually prepares to move out, the toy ends up in a bin bag, only for her mother to quietly rescue it and put it into storage.

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Decades later, the girl returns to her mother's belongings and discovers Goldie again, prompting her to recognise the toy as a memory worth holding onto and, eventually, passing down to another generation.

The film forms part of IKEA Singapore's year-long "Make space for what you love" campaign, which looks at homes not simply as spaces to fill, but as places where families grow, relationships change and everyday objects take on sentimental value.

It also marks IKEA Singapore's latest brand film in more than five years. Its previous instalment, released following the COVID-19 pandemic, positioned the home as a sanctuary amid a changing world. This time around, the brand is shifting its focus towards the possibilities within the home and how it can evolve alongside the people living in it.

That idea is also woven into the products featured throughout "Goldie". IKEA storage staples including 'TROFAST' and 'KALLAX', 'PAX' wardrobes and 'SAMLA' boxes appear across different stages of the girl's life, evolving alongside her and the toy.

The film taps into Singapore's space constraints to position adaptable storage as a way for consumers to make room for new stages of life without necessarily having to part with objects carrying personal meaning.

"Singapore as a country is challenged by space, and in our homes every square centimetre matters," said Michael la Cour, CEO of IKEA Singapore.

He added that as people's lives continue to change and develop, the brand wants consumers to pause and reflect on the memories, traditions and pieces of their past they want to hold onto.

"Making space for something doesn't always mean letting go of what's important, especially for family," said la Cour.

With "Goldie", IKEA Singapore is also returning to emotional storytelling as a way of prompting conversations around life at home.

"We're going back to what we do best – sparking conversations and provoking emotions to nudge people to consider how they want to create a home that grows with them," added la Cour.

The film follows another recent activation under IKEA Singapore's "Make space for what you love" campaign, which saw the retailer turn its storage furniture into fitness challenges earlier this month. At the centre of the activation was IKEA Singapore's first "HEJ-FIT challenge", a functional fitness competition developed in partnership with Volvo and held at IKEA Tampines on 19 and 20 September.

Speaking to MARKETING-INTERACTIVE at the time, Steve Croasdale, country selling manager at IKEA Singapore, said the challenge tied into the wider campaign's push to encourage Singaporeans to clear physical clutter and make room for their personal passions, including fitness and hobbies.

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