Indonesia – IKEA, in partnership with Dentsu Indonesia, has introduced a campaign that encourages family interaction by redesigning traditional furniture assembly manuals into more collaborative and child-friendly guides.
Called the ‘Bonding Instruction’, the initiative reimagines IKEA’s traditional assembly manuals with minor but thoughtful adjustments to encourage cooperation. The updated guides include step-by-step stories, child-friendly visuals, and a modified Allen key with an easy-grip handle designed for smaller hands—turning furniture assembly into a shared activity between parents and children.
Developed by Dentsu Indonesia, the redesigned manual is part of IKEA’s broader effort to help urban families reconnect, positioning everyday tasks as opportunities for interaction and engagement. By incorporating storytelling elements and simplified tools, the activity becomes a way for families to spend meaningful time together.
The Bonding Instruction is included with every purchase of IKEA products related to children’s needs, encouraging at least 30 minutes of quality family interaction. A digital version is also available for families who already own the products and wish to participate.
Defri Dwipaputra, executive creative director at Dentsu Creative Indonesia, commented, “In Indonesia, where family ties remain the most important fabric, bonding time should be a cherished shared experience to enhance family connections.”
Dwipaputra further explained, “Bonding Instruction was, therefore, created to combine the essence of IKEA’s values of togetherness and simplicity – elevating its passion for life at home and, in turn, connecting families through quality activities, proving that even everyday moments can create lasting memories.”
IKEA’s Bonding Instruction aligns with its mission of creating homes that bring people closer together. The activity is designed to support children’s growth and turn furniture assembly into a meaningful learning experience shared with parents.
It also responds to children’s desire for more quality time with parents who are often preoccupied with the demands of urban life.
The campaign was rolled out across both offline and online platforms, including in-store displays and interactive Instagram Stories Highlights, to broaden its reach and engagement.
Irfansyah Kurnia Putra, head of country marketing at Ikea Indonesia, commented, “We are converting our product building time into treasured bonding opportunities, transforming what was once a mundane assembly process into meaningful shared family experiences. With Bonding Instruction, dentsu has understood our strong affinity with our customers, enabling a simple modification to our instruction manual that has reimagined bonding experiences for Indonesian families.”
