The Podcast That Nobody Finished

Client: IKEA

IKEA transformed a market challenge into a creative opportunity by addressing the nation's sleep crisis through innovative audio content. Despite 4 in 5 Brits prioritising sleep, average nightly sleep has fallen below six hours, with media consumption being a major culprit. Meanwhile, IKEA held just 5.6% market share in beds and mattresses versus 22.3% in the broader bedroom category.

The solution was brilliantly counterintuitive: creating deliberately boring sleep content that would send listeners to sleep. Partnering with Acast, IKEA developed "The Podcast That Nobody Finished", a series featuring beloved UK podcast hosts performing mundane tasks like counting comedians or reading unanswered messages. Rather than appearing in traditional sleep feeds, these stories were strategically placed across unexpected genres where late-night listening spikes occurred.

The campaign delivered exceptional results: over 606,000 listens post-campaign, a 7% increase in brand consideration to 82%, and a 13% uplift in agreement that "IKEA is an expert in sleep." Initial econometric data showed partnerships ranked as the third most effective paid media channel for short-term ROI. Most importantly, listeners genuinely adopted the content as a bedtime ritual, proving that sometimes the most boring ideas can be the most brilliant.