St. Luke’s IKEA Ads Trivialise Divorce, Say Viewers

The latest television advertising campaign for DIY furniture store IKEA has resulted in 49 complaints to the Independent Television Commission (ITC), according to the latest bulletin.

The ads, created by the St. Luke’s agency, show scenes of marriages and relationships breaking down, followed by the lines: “Just pack up, find a place of your own. And for all your new things, you know where to come. Make a fresh start.”

Complainants felt that the ads trivialised divorced or suggested that there was an easy solution to relationship problem, according to the ITC. Two particular viewers said that the campaign had distressed people affected by divorce. Six other people complained about a scene which showed a husband beginning a relationship with another man, on the grounds that it depicted homosexuality.

However, the ITC rejected the complaints on the grounds that most viewers found the ads acceptable. None of the complaints was upheld.

Independent Television Commission: 020 7255 3000