IKEA Canada
IKEA Canada takes a creative-first approach to shopping ads
IKEA Canada knows Pinterest is all about the visuals. But they wanted to learn what makes shoppers click. So they designed a test to see what creative drives more engagement: ads that only show products or lifestyle images showing products in use. Which do you think performed best? Discover the most effective ads, which drove a 50% improvement in their CPA1
IKEA is known for their Scandinavian aesthetic and affordable home furnishing solutions. They wanted to know if simple product shots or lifestyle imagery inspired by real-life homes are more compelling to shoppers on Pinterest.
50% improvement in cost-per-action for ads that featured lifestyle imagery1
People shopping on Pinterest are seeking to buy but haven't decided on a brand.2 So shopping ads, particularly those in contextual lifestyle settings can help quickly move someone from discovery to purchase.
IKEA Canada created two styles of ads: one showcasing products in a contextual lifestyle setting, while the other solely featuring the product. They used the shopping ads format and tested the ads across their Pinterest catalog sales and conversion campaigns. Shopping ads are automated. After an efficient setup, IKEA Canada was able to effectively test thousands of stock-keeping units (SKUs) at scale — running multiple campaigns concurrently across different audience groups to test performance.
The ads showed up in categories like "eating & cooking", "workspaces", "children's IKEA", "bathroom", "dining", and "kitchen" (to name a few) — meeting demand where shoppers were looking.
“
With this test, we could see how the visual nature of Pinterest helped our Shopping program translate to sales. With our results, we see the possibilities for expanding our creative approach on the platform to help drive continued results.”
Kristin Newbigging
Director of Integrated Media, IKEA Canada
The results? Shopping ads set against a lifestyle backdrop significantly outperformed those featuring products alone. The ads where IKEA Canada included lifestyle imagery led to an incredible 50% improvement in cost-per-action.1
This trend was consistent across all audience groups, demonstrating the universal appeal of lifestyle imagery. These ads empowered Pinterest users to visualize their IKEA purchases as they moved along the consumer journey. The insights gained will help IKEA Canada guide the development of future campaigns — and shape their ongoing optimization strategy.
Tips for your next campaign
Try these Pinterest best practices to help get more out of your ads.
Bring your products to life in your ads. Incorporating lifestyle imagery can significantly help boost inspiration while shoppers are in the discovery phase. Provide contextual examples of how your products can seamlessly enrich peoples’ lives and living spaces.
Optimize your product feed on Pinterest. A better feed can mean better performance. And better performance can mean more potential customers finding your brand and buying from your shop. Read our top tips guide to learn how to give your feed a makeover.
Test and optimize performance campaigns. Great results start with a smart campaign setup. We recommend testing different variables to understand what lands best with your audience. Check out our free courses on Pinterest Academy to find out more.