IKEA Launches Its First New Zealand Store

Opening IKEA’s highly anticipated first store in New Zealand required a rock solid strategy and expert execution. Partnering with IKEA, we delivered a launch that captured the nation’s imagination, grabbed headlines, and achieved blanket media coverage.

Starting months before opening day, a strategic campaign of announcements, releases, and media moments built momentum. From revealing the first product details and menu items, to launching IKEA pop-up experiences in Christchurch and Wellington, creating interest across the whole country was essential.

In the lead-up to opening day, we hosted a series of events for stakeholders, journalists and staff to build excitement. Key to this was media engagement, with a pre-opening event with more than 30 journalists visiting the store, interviewing spokespeople, and getting answers to their burning questions.

On opening day, hundreds queued outside in anticipation of the doors opening.

The highlight of the day was the ribbon-cutting by the IKEA team and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon marking the store’s official opening – and the first of 18,000 customers who visited the store on opening day were cheered inside by IKEA coworkers.

Opening day was a phenomenal success with the IKEA NZ website receiving over 245,000 visits and generating more than 1,000 media items, with coverage continuing for over a week after doors opened.