CoP: Practical

After realising my audience through using my research I then concreted my idea to four different personas. I went on the ikea website to source products which I could create these personas around. 

In doing this it allowed me to create a narrative to each persona and a 'problem' that ikea could solve as the commercial side to the ad campaign.

The website used photography itself to show the function of each product.

 It even had a small bit of body copy which made suggestions to inspire the consumer into purchasing the products through explaining it's practicality.

I sourced these products alongside sketching out ideas of how they could work. It was important that the products were small and from the end section of the store as this campaign is to product that area of ikeas stock not is usual full experience rooms. I also wanted completely different narratives for each persona, separating them so it showed the wide range of products they sell such as kitchen, office, bathroom etc.

The idea:

There are four personas that demonstrate the range in audience ikea appeal to.

Persona 1:
Young single female, early 20s
Situation:
Getting ready
Product:
A sectioned tray for inside a draw to organise products such as make up, hair bits, lotions

Persona 2:
Family - mother and children
Situation:
Baking together
Product:
Plastic cup cake moulds, colourful, reusable and easy to remove from cake and to wash

Persona 3:
Couple
Situation:
Living together for first time
Product:
A product for each person - a message board and a plant pot
Keeping in touch and organised in there busy schedules and making a home together

Persona 4:
Single young male
Situation:
Gadget lover
Product:
Cable tidy box to hide the cables from his desk and organise his gadgets

To show this I will produce two images for each persona. The first one will be a photograph of all the products that make up the situation and person. The items will be outlined with a dotted line to show there movement. The next image will then be these items organised into the product provided by ikea with one single dotted line around around that product showing how it's been reduced.

There are two sides to this ad campaign.

The commercial side:
As it is an extension of Ikea's ad campaign focusing on the smaller products of there produce therefore there is the commercial side to it. This is based on Ikea's companies focus: they solve problems and organise your life. By laying out objects based around a particular member of there audience it shows how there particular product can solve a problem often found with that narrative be that getting ready, baking with children etc.

The theoretical side:
On the theoretical side for my dissertation the campaign shows how objects and items help form our identity. Our consumerism can define aspects of us as a person to others and ourselves. By purchasing these products we make a decision and feel that by owning this item we can adopt this particular narrative such as being a happy family, a good mother, an attractive female, a successful business man etc. The dotted line showing that whats missing in completing this identity is the Ikea product.

In addition to this the names of the products shown in each advert will be altered into a human name taking on a title such as mrs, mr etc. This is an extension of how ikea sell the products by using relationships and identities in there campaigns to reinforce the idea of consumerism creating your own identity. You become the products that you buy and take on there properties be that organised, sleek, modern, stylish, fun.