Ikea embraces 'crap idea' for Brighton store opening

Ikea Brighton has called on the services of the city’s most divisive residents, with a new campaign to promote the retailer’s first store in Sussex that pays playful tribute to the humble seagull – loved and despised in equal measure.

The store, which opened late last week to huge queues of Billy bookcase and Poäng armchair fans, is situated in the Churchill Square shopping centre, on the site of the former Debenhams store.

Spanning 6,695 square metres of retail space across two floors, the new store combines Ikea’s hallmark shopping and dining experience in the city centre location.

The new OOH activity features colourful images of Ikea furniture, from chairs to filing cabinets, being deliberately splattered with seagull poop, with the strapline simply stating: “Ikea Brighton now open.”

It follows a teaser campaign which saw the retailer open a chip theft insurance kiosk on the seafront, handing out free fries to locals whose snacks had been stolen by gulls over the years.

Ikea Brighton marketing manager Karina Gilpin said: “We’re excited to move into our new Brighton home, and to celebrate we’re embracing Brighton’s most infamous neighbours – its seagulls.”

In a LinkedIn post, Mother stated: “Step out your front door, sit on a bench or look out your car window, there are presents left for you everywhere. It’s just part of life that every Brighton local deals with.”