HomeTown Puts Up Creative Ads Outside IKEA, Netizens Laud Their ‘Mauke Pe Chauka’!

We Indians love to preach about our desi-ness. We never stop talking about our ‘desh ki mitti‘ and how awesome it’s. And no social gathering is complete without an unhealthy dose of sanskaar. That said, whenever something phoren lands in our country, we rush to see it with such excitement that it’ll seem the cricket team has won the World Cup again. Something similar happened when IKEA came to Hyderabad.

On Thursday, Swedish retail brand IKEA, opened its first store in Hyderabad. And when the gates opened, people flooded in like there was no tomorrow.

#WATCH Stampede like situation at public opening of Swedish home furnishing brand #IKEA in Hyderabad, yesterday. pic.twitter.com/Ta5izho02E

— ANI (@ANI) August 10, 2018

People shoved and pushed their way through the line just to see some furniture. And since this was the situation inside the store, the situation outside was equally wild. And by ‘wild’, I mean traffic jams.

However, given the competition in these modern times, one brand was not ready to let a foreign brand take away its market base. And that was Kishore Biyani’s HomeTown.

How about this innovation by Hometown opposite to IKEA store. pic.twitter.com/QDrs8tB9th

— Gautam Polisetty (@Gautampolisetty) August 9, 2018

In the name of ‘healthy competition’, HomeTown propped up ads that clearly attempted to steal IKEA’s thunder. They coloured the ‘there’ in the signature blue and yellow combo of IKEA and called customers who were returning empty-handed from the Swedes. According to the Economic Times, even Ulf Smedberg appreciated it and called the ad a “creative and fun way to reach out to us”.

Netizens who happened to come across this ad, appreciated HomeTown’s willingness to not bow down to IKEA.

1. Oh hell no!

.@HomeTown_In throwing shade at .@IKEAIndia on their launch day. Vilkommen IKEA. Did you think this was going to be easy? pic.twitter.com/SC9PxtKffk

— Hasan Khan – staying at home and saving lives wbu? (@hsnk) August 9, 2018

2. This is the new age form of marketing.

Mauke pe chauka!! Kishore Biyani ambushes IKEA party with HomeTown ads https://t.co/qHVU514keb via @economictimes @RasulBailayET

— Romit Guha (@romitguhaET) August 11, 2018

3. Well, everything’s fair in love and war.

Intrestingly Indian competition will not lie low —-Kishore Biyani ambushes IKEA party with HomeTown adshttps://t.co/OJZCFmbLRw

— Neeraja Sharma (@sharma_neeraja) August 11, 2018

4. Timing is always the key.

On the opening day of Ikea. Amazing timing of claim and messaging. #Ikea #hometown pic.twitter.com/40R9yRoXKF

— Hitesh Gaur (@hiteshgaur) August 9, 2018

5. To be honest, this is pretty on-the-nose.

Congratulations #IKEA on your maiden store in India.

But awesome welcome & sublime response by @HomeTown_In @fg_buzz@future_care @futuregroups @kishore_biyani @IKEAIndia @IKEA pic.twitter.com/USIauvDzXI

— Sambit K Sahu (@sambitksahu) August 9, 2018

6. If that happens, then it’s a good thing.

This is good, healthy competition. Both brands will gain from the constructive approach adopted by both companies and this segment will grow rapidly. Opportunity for many small players to become suppliers. #leadership #markets #India https://t.co/YXy2ZnjrFu

— Parvathi Menon (@parvathimenon) August 11, 2018

7. Fortune favours the bold.

HomeTown, trying its luck against the mighty IKEA… because, why not? 🙂 https://t.co/36GddFjUPN

— Karthik (@beastoftraal) August 9, 2018

HomeTown has reigned over India for many years and has a niche customer base that’ll not buy from any other brand. But to develop a sustainable market, it needs to make sure that they keep attracting new customers. So, do you think this is the right way to do so? Or do you think IKEA will take over companies like HomeTown in the long run?

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