Ikea debuts holiday anthem made for TikTok

Ikea has upped their game on Tik Tok by releasing a holiday-themed anthem, “Feels Just Like a Holiday,” produced specifically to go viral on the platform.

It’s the first time the world’s largest furniture seller has created original music specifically for the social video app. With lyrics that mention “the glow of those candles from Ikea,” the song mostly focuses on the warm and cosy feelings that often come with holiday gatherings. That theme is consistent throughout the brand’s broader “Host Masters” campaign, which Wavemaker was part of designing and delivering. 

The choice to launch a song was heavily influenced by research that shows 65% of TikTok users prefer videos from brands that feature an original sound. In addition, 58% of TikTok users said they felt more connected to brands when the music was enjoyable.

To make it happen and to make sure they hit the right mark with their tune to fit in on the platform, Ikea partnered with mobile video publisher Group Nine Media and Song Candy, a creative agency that specializes in producing original songs for brands for sound-centric environments like TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube, Triller, Spotify and more. As some brands still are raising eyebrows and feel bewildered by the seemingly complete randomness of what is a hit on TikTok, we’re convinced that agencies like Song Candy will be having more brands knock on their door next year.

As brands look for ways to entertain their consumers and to connect with them in appealing ways, we think we’ll see more of these original songs pop up. There’s an attractive incentive for brands to do this as Tik Tok is also shaping music trends beyond their platform; with over 175 songs that trended on TikTok in 2021 charted on the Billboard Hot 100 (twice as many as last year.) If you want to dig in deeper to these music trends on one of the world’s fastest growing social media platform, check out TikTok’s Music Report 2021.

Ikea’s Feels Just Like a Holiday may not be the equivalent of Wham’s Last Christmas, to provide fame and recognition for the brand every holiday season for decades to come, but it’s a charming song and shows that Ikea is staying relevant and innovating as the marketing playing field evolves.