2018 Cannes contenders: 'The Ikea human catalogue', by BBH Singapore

Contender: The Ikea Human Catalogue
Agency: BBH Singapore
Client: Ikea

Nominated by:

Ali Rez, regional CD, BBDO Middle East and Pakistan

In a world fascinated with storing data and AI, IKEA demonstrated the power of human ingenuity by asking Yanjaa Wintersoul, a female memory champion, to memorize all 328 pages of the IKEA 2018 catalogue. They then very boldly put her to the test on Facebook Live.  

Ajab Samrai, chief creative officer, Ogilvy ASEAN:

How do you bring a dull print catalogue to life? Well, Ikea have been pushing the envelope here for a while but this year they’ve taken it to another level altogether. Say hello if you haven’t already to memory champion Yanjaa Wintersoul,  – the world’s first Human Catalogue.

Those very clever people at BBH Singapore put her to the ultimate test by asking her to memorise all 400 items across 328 pages of their latest catalogue. The resulting video is jaw dropping as Yanjaa describes random pages of the catalogue right down to the colour of three crayons lying in one of the spreads.

And if you thought it was a set-up she takes part in a ‘public test’ that was streamed on Facebook live to really hammer the point home. An unforgettable idea.

Jenifer Alicia Ooi, creative director, Lion & Lion

Tapping on the intelligence of the human brain, IKEA’s catalogue once again does not disappoint. The idea helps to humanise the brand and challenge people to think of their homes beyond just furnishing - every detail count. Not just that, the campaign manages to leverage all aspects of digital, content and media integration as it allows the public to experience first hand the wonders of a live living catalogue of a true IKEA fan.