It's no secret that brands are hopping on the World Cup bandwagon – some better than others. While for sports brands, a cheeky football campaign is guaranteed to score some major points, other brands have to think a bit more outside the box, just like Ikea with its ingenious new 'Assemble the World' campaign.
Simple yet effective, Ikea's playful homage to the nations of the 2026 World Cup is a prime example of how to join the trend without sacrificing your brand aesthetic. Bold, crafty and visually pleasing, the Assemble the World campaign is up there with some of this year's best World Cup 2026 adverts.
Created by Ikea Canada in collaboration with Dentsu Creative, the Assemble the World campaign takes everyday Ikea items and transforms them into the vibrant flags of the World Cup teams. A VÅGSJÖN blanket becomes Canada's iconic maple leaf, while a PEPPRIG duster cover transforms into the yellow lines of Sweden's flag, demonstrating the creativity to be found in everyday, mundane items.
The social-first campaign acts as an interactive shopping experience, inviting followers to guess the products that make up the iconic flags. With a total of 18 flags to identify, there's plenty to uncover, and some designs are deceptively tricky to identify. The campaign will also appear in OOH campaigns near IKEA locations throughout the summer, coinciding with the World Cup.
For more branding news, check out the creative trends defining World Cup advertising or take a look at this year's best World Cup kit designs.
