Ikea’s new print ad in Sweden includes a pregnancy test where women can, well, you know how home pregnancy tests work…
“Peeing on this ad may change your life,” the ad says.
Not only will the print ad, which appears in women’s magazine Amelia, provide life changing information, there is still a pecuniary incentive for expecting readers. If they find out that they are, in fact, pregnant by peeing on the magazine ad, they’ll get a discount on a crib from Ikea.
Ikea wants you to pee on this ad and if you’re pregnant, it'll give you a discount on a crib https://t.co/MjuUiQSkZz pic.twitter.com/wAMXt8IdkJ
— ADWEEK (@Adweek) January 9, 2018
The ad, which was a collaboration between Ikea and Mercene labs, works like this:
The pregnancy test strip uses antibodies that bind to the pregnancy hormone hCG, which causes it to change color. For the print ad itself, Mercene Labs developed a surface with active materials.
Adweek called it “the coolest pee-based advertising since Animal Planet put urine-scented ads at the bottom of lampposts to attract dogs (whose owners then saw a larger ad at their own eye level promoting a dog award show).”
This is a pretty crazy gimmick, but it’s also extremely effective. Expecting mothers who might be reading Amelia will see this ad, and know they’re already in a group eligible for a discounted crib. And hey, maybe some women in Sweden will get some good news while doing a little reading, too.
Aside from this particular use, this kind of technology could pave the way for more interactive print advertising. Thin about potential clients in industries like healthcare, safety and more.
Hopefully they remove this page before reading the rest of the magazine, though. Print magazines are important!
