Ikea evokes Pixar's Wall-E in ‘Change a bit for good’ campaign

Ikea and a hapless robot are calling on UK consumers to help save the planet by taking small measures to make the house a more eco-responsible environment.

Created by Mother, the centrepiece of "Change a bit for good" is a 60-second TV ad that shows a well-intentioned WALL-E-style robot trying and failing to combat pollution.

In the ad, he attempts to pick up plastic bags strewn across an urban riverbank before being short-circuited and losing his grip on the waste; he faces up to an approaching lorry at an emissions-belching industrial plant, before it runs over him, drenching him in mud; and he sucks up oil deposits from a polluted beach, before he realises despondently that the small vial of oil he has recovered barely makes a difference given the scale of contamination.

Depressed, he trudges back though the city streets, but is cheered on returning home to his robot family, who are doing their little bit for the environment with a sustainable makeover – for instance, repurposing a toy storage unit to grow vegetables and using recycled textiles.

"Change a bit for good," says the voiceover. "Ikea. The wonderful everyday."

The TV ad, including a 20-second edit, will be broadcast in the UK and Ireland across various channels and on video-on-demand from today (24 May), then supported from 31 May via social, radio, display and out of home. The campaign will also run in the US and Netherlands.

The supporting work will demonstrate how small acts can make a difference, such as by transforming plastic bags into reusable net bags and using disposable coffee cups as reusable cups.

Ikea and Mother have also produced a "Choices for Change Tracker" that displays the positive impact Ikea customers are having on the environment, from choosing to eat plant balls instead of meatballs and using LED bulbs to participating in the retailer's Buy Back scheme, which allows consumers to sell back unwanted items of furniture.

Kemi Anthony, Ikea's marketing communications manager, said: "We've set the ambitious goal of becoming fully circular and climate positive by 2030. But it's not just about how we do business, but also about wanting to inspire and support customers in taking action too.

"Many people still believe that more sustainable living is a choice only available to the privileged few, which doesn't have to be the case. With this campaign, our aim is to democratise sustainability, demonstrating how easy it actually is to make very simple, affordable and meaningful changes."

The TV ad was directed by Ninian Doff through Pulse Films. Media was by Vizeum, while Hope & Glory PR and Rapp worked on various aspects of the campaign.