New IKEA ad showcases diversity

A new campaign launched by IKEA called “Hooray! To the Wonderful Everyday” depicting a Black family living the good life has been receiving acclaim from Black British people who are now starting to see themselves more and more depicted in advertisements.

The commercial comes at a time when major brands across the world have had to issue apologies for ads that have been accused of whitewashing or depicting racist stereotypes. Major brands like Pepsi and McDonald’s have had to issue withdrawals and apologies, while beauty products recently like Dove and Nivea have faced intense backlash over their depiction of minorities in their ad campaigns. But this new ad launched by IKEA maybe can serve as a guide to other major brands of how to do an ad depicting a BAME identity postively.

The ad shows a Black family with their curly, kinky, afro hair, living the good life and showcasing the daily lives that each member of the household goes through. In her opinion piece on the ad campaign, Michelle De Leon, founder of World Afro Day, rejoiced in seeing the new ad stating:

That there is an advert that makes me and my daughter feel good to be Black and British. My dad grew up here, I was born here, and this advert appeared in my daughter’s 12th year. It has taken three generations over six decades to get to this point. If this is a watershed moment, it’s been a long time coming.”

Images of Black people still to this day are often stereotypical - from criminals to athletes to entertainers. But an ad that focuses on an everyday family is welcome sight to the BAME communities. IKEA executive Kemi Anthony explained that the ad isn’t the first time the company has used a Black family in its advertising and that the positive response from the ad:

Only goes to show how it important it is to ensure that ethnic minorities are more naturally and more regularly represented in advertising.”

Zak Ott