Think you can’t Create An Ad with Just Your Phone? Think again.

Sales of IKEA products within the US increased by 8% during the period 'Lamp Ad' was broadcast. Unboxing a 60 seconds viral ad with a 4 sentence script.

Most entrepreneurs, especially small business owners worry about the cost of a great Ad video production. It's easy to think your brands unpopularity is due to low budget for Ads or SMM.

What if I told you there's a way to create an Ad, with little to no scripting, filmed with a little device we use everyday?

Whether you're using Samsung, IPhone, or any other device, you can take inspiration from this IKEA ad and film a commercial this week.

In fact, the more raw & real your ad looks, the better. As long as the message is communicated clearly with your audience.

You don't need Hollywood talent or $ to create an Ad for TV & social media. Here's why & how:

VIRAL MOMENT

Lamp opens with a shot of a red tabletop lamp by a sofa. A woman unplugs it and carries it outside, disregarding it's use by leaving it by a side walk with trash.

A sad sombre piano plays in the background as the lamp is left ‘alone’ on a dismal, windy day.

Hours pass, and shots of the lamp sitting alone in the pouring rain are shown. From the lamp's perspective, it ‘sees' through the window of its former owner on her sofa beside a new IKEA anglepoise lamp.

As the camera pulls away from the abandoned lamp, a Swedish man (Jonas Fornander) walks into view & turns to the camera, stating:

"Many of you feel bad for this lamp. That is because you crazy. It has no feelings, and the new one is much better."

PART 2

In 2018, IKEA Canada began airing Lamp 2, a follow-up to the original Lamp Ad promoting reusability and recycling of household products.

It features a similar soundtrack and visual style, along with a return appearance by the Swedish actor.

In the advert, a little girl finds the lamp, takes it home, gives it a new bulb and then proceeds to use it for a variety of purposes. At the end, the Swedish man appears and says:

"Many of you feel happy for this lamp. That's not crazy. Reusing things is better."

Background: Crispin Porter + Bogusky (CP+B) received the contract in early 2002, taking over from the Minneapolis-based ad agency called Carmichael Lynch as IKEA’s new ad agency. Alex Bogusky was the idea behind the Lamp Ad.

Strategy story

Shooting Lamp proved relatively straightforward. The majority of the script was dedicated to creating the appropriate mood for the piece through camera angles and lighting.

While the "punchline" (script) of the ad was rewritten several times, there was little need for improvisation on set.

(HOW-TO) Create an Ad video like ‘Lamp’

Execution:

What’s your goal?

• What do you want your ad to achieve? (e.g., promote sustainability, highlight affordability, evoke emotion, bring awareness to a problem).

• IKEA's "Lamp" focused on sustainability, affordable design & modern lifestyles.

• Pick an object that represents your business OR closely resonates with it.

Focus on visuals & audio storytelling!

• Leverage cinematography and/or music to create an emotional arc. IKEA’s ad used soft lighting and a somber soundtrack to set the mood.

• Every visual and sound cue should align with the story and reinforce the message.

Make it relevant to your brand✓

• Tie the emotional narrative back to your product or service in a way that feels authentic. IKEA’s focus on affordable, stylish home solutions complemented the ad’s theme.

• Identify universal emotions like joy, nostalgia, or sadness, then weave them into the storyline (as IKEA did by anthropomorphizing the discarded lamp)

Add a twist or memorable gimmick😲

• Include an unexpected conclusion that reinforces the core message. For IKEA, the humorous line “You feel bad for this lamp? That is because you are crazy.” created a memorable and shareable moment.

• Humor or surprise helps make the ad stand out and linger in viewers' minds.

Here are 5 quick tips for mastering visual storytelling

KEY-TAKEAWAY

With technology rapidly evolving, great phone cameras are everywhere. You don't have to be a video director/editor to shoot awesome ads.

All you need is a great concept with low production advantage, now you have one, there's no excuse.

Still doubting? Here's Lamp casting decisions:

"I really wanted a non-actor for the Ikea guy. I wanted it to feel like he was just a worker at Ikea who'd walked out of the store and on to the street. The guy we cast, Jonas Fornander (Swedish man) had never acted before.

Ask some friends or family to help you if you need to, if influencers, YouTubers & TikTokers can create videos, so can you!

Quirk/fun fact

At the end of the shoot, one of the crew took the Lamp home. When CP+B agency asked for it back, they received a note mimicking the commercial, which read:

"See? you've fallen for it. You've grown attached to the lamp, and you are crazy.

Second one:

A variety of lamps were considered as potential "protagonists" for Lamp. The red tabletop lamp was chosen because it "stood out as the most pathetic of the bunch."

RIP to anyone who has a red lamp as furniture…

QOTD

Do not worry about tomorrow, tomorrow will worry about itself, each day has enough trouble on its own (Mathew 6:34)

Relevant links: Part 1 & 2 of IKEA Lamp Ad