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Ikea campaign puts price tags at the heart of life’s big moments

Ikea, Sweden

Sweden – Ikea is turning its price tags into narrative cues for its latest campaign. Developed by ad agency Åkestam Holst NoA for the brand’s new Wherever Life Goes platform, the ads spotlight value through the purchase triggers behind key milestones – tapping into the consumer priorities we outlined in our Communities report, The Value Vanguard.

Rather than focusing on product placement, the campaign centres on emotive life transitions: a child practising violin as a price tag for a sound-absorbing screen appears and a toddler’s first steps accompanied by a tag for corner bumpers, for example.

‘There are many things that are iconic about Ikea, and the price tag is one of them,’ says Åkestam Holst art director Michal Sitkiewicz. By elevating a price label into a storytelling tool, Ikea reinforces its role in everyday life while emphasising its core proposition of accessible design for all.

For more insight into shifting consumer values and what this means for brands, head to our New Codes of Value macrotrend.

Strategic opportunity

Communicate emotional value through everyday touchpoints, showing how your brand supports life’s milestones and shapes deeper relationships beyond transactional interactions

Belvedere Vodka launches hedonistic Hot Child in the City zine

Belvedere Single Estate Rye Series

US – Belvedere Vodka is stepping into the world of print with Hot Child in the City, a limited-edition zine starring It-girl Devon Lee Carlson.

Styled by Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, who also serves as editor-in-chief, and photographed by Alana O’Herlihy, the debut issue brings a cinematic lens to New York’s restless energy.

Described in the press release as shot in a slapstick cinema verité style, the zine follows Carlson through a day-to-night journey across the city. Hand-written notes and playful illustrations infuse the pages with personality.

From the vintage treasures of the Albright Fashion Library to a corner shop pit stop and a late-night Martini moment, Hot Child in the City captures the messy glamour of New York.

Limited copies are available at Soho News International, Casa Magazines and online via Belvedere’s website.

The zine reflects the insights from our Gen Z Wellness Rebellion report, which explores how young people are rejecting wellness dogma and self-optimisation in favour of cigarettes, cocktails and controlled chaos.

Strategic opportunity

Create campaigns for Gen Z that embody ‘hot mess energy’. Use messy typography, analogue photography, humour and behind-the-scenes chaos that feel human, imperfect and unfiltered

Stat: US shoppers experience discount burnout as value shifts beyond price

Saks on Amazon. Photography by Max Siedentopf, US

US – A new report from consultancy AlixPartners reveals that US shoppers are increasingly indifferent to heavy discounting ahead of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, signalling a shift in how value is being understood across the fashion industry.

A survey of more than 9,000 consumers across 140 retailers and nine fashion sectors found that shoppers now view price increases as inevitable and are placing less emphasis on chasing deals. Compared with 2024, consumers consider price 13% less important when deciding whether to purchase clothing or accessories, with the decline spanning all categories except luxury and beauty.

Notably, the off-price sector has seen deal-hunting fall from the top purchase motivator to 19th place, while factors such as quality, value for money, consistency of pricing and store experience are emerging as core priorities.

Despite more than 60% of consumers planning to make the most of their holiday fashion purchases in-store, shoppers are spending less time browsing and buying fewer items per visit. This suggests that while physical retail still holds cultural and social value, stores are having to work harder to justify time spent there – and to offer something beyond transactional convenience.

Rather than chasing discounts, consumers are gravitating towards purchases that feel worthwhile – reflecting broader trends in evolving retail values, as covered in our macrotrend New Codes of Value.

Strategic opportunity

By tailoring in-store experiences to emphasise quality, consistency and curated product journeys, brands can drive longer dwell times, higher basket values and stronger loyalty, even as discount-driven traffic declines