IKEA’s new ad reminds us of a grim reality about our homes…

Think of global furniture giant IKEA and you’re reminded of every possible item you can imagine to spruce up your home. From those tiny, yet cute KORKEN jars to dining chairs and even a bed, IKEA is the treasure trove for everything a happy home needs. Now take a look at the ad below.

From the despondent setting to chilly sentiment and the life of the woman… The ad’s finale points towards the true “Ghost”, the true evil of today’s society – Domestic Violence. And what’s heartbreaking is that incidents of domestic violence shot up during the COVID pandemic-induced lockdowns across the world.

Illustrating this heart-wrenching reality was AP News in a November 26 report, where the Italian Ministry, citing data from national statistics agency ISTAT, said that the calls to domestic violence hotlines shot up during lockdown, registering a 75 per cent increase, as compared to the same period in 2019. Between March and June, calls and text messages to the anti-violence number more than doubled during the same period, to 119.6 per cent.

The ad is from IKEA Czech Republic and its website, citing a 2014 EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) study, said: “The Czechia is one of the countries in which domestic violence – especially violence against women – is a common phenomenon. Almost every second woman has experienced some form of psychological violence, and 21 per cent (of women) have experienced physical or sexual violence.”

On YouTube, the ad’s title reads, “Every home should be a safe place” and the description says, “At IKEA, we strive to create a better everyday life for as many people as possible, and at the same time we are convinced that the home should be a safe place for everyone. That is why we have decided to provide support to women at risk of domestic violence over the next two years.”

On its website, IKEA detailed its commitment to domestic violence. This, however, isn’t the first time it called for renewed attention on the evils of domestic violence.

For International Day of Violence Against Women (November 25) in 2018, IKEA Italia ran a campaign called “The Room”. Made by agency stv DDB Srl, the brand closed a room inside its store and people passing by could hear voices of real domestic violence stories provided by non-profit organisation Telefono Donna.

CREDITS for the “Ghost”

Client: IKEA

Work: "Ghost"

Advertising agency: Triad Advertising, Prague, Czech Republic

Production company: Bistro Films

Director: Marek Partys

DoP: David Hofmann

Executive producer: Jiri Ptacek

Line producer: Tereza Slaba

Music: I Am Viliam