The encyclopedia · Marketing & Brand · Marketing decision · 2024–2025
IKEA Portugal found its oldest furniture by reading hidden labels
IKEA's 20th-anniversary hunt for the oldest piece in Portugal turned ignored barcode labels into proof of durability.
IKEA
the move
After 20 years in Portugal, IKEA was a loved brand, yet many Portuguese believed its furniture wasn't made to last. UZINA found proof to the contrary already hiding in every home: each product's label, ignored after assembly, carries a barcode that encodes the item's production date.
The Hidden Tags campaign challenged Portuguese customers to hunt for the labels on their own furniture and submit a photo plus the story, with a €2,000 IKEA card for the oldest piece. The hunt required IKEA Family membership, feeding the loyalty programme, and was supported by film, digital, OOH and influencer content.
4,573 labels came in; the oldest piece was 55 years old and the average submitted furniture had lasted 18.5 years. Sales rose 14%, new IKEA Family members grew 42% (95,500), and the stories became the basis for a new brand positioning. The work won a Bronze Pencil at The One Show 2025, Gold and Silver Lions at Cannes, and the CCP Grand Prix in Portugal.
why it works
- The hidden barcode was data customers already owned, making durability measurable.
- A nationwide treasure hunt turned sceptics into brand researchers.
- Requiring IKEA Family membership converted curiosity into loyalty sign-ups.
what transfers
When customers doubt your quality, turn the product itself into evidence: a treasure hunt that makes users measure durability for you.
what came after
Hidden Tags became one of the most awarded Portuguese campaigns of 2025, with Cannes Gold and Silver Lions, a One Show Bronze Pencil and the CCP Grand Prix, and the 4,500 submitted stories became the foundation of IKEA Portugal's new positioning campaign.
references
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