chuck out your chintz

Chintz: a printed and glazed cotton fabric, usually of bright colors

Have you seen the 1996 ad campaign, "Chuck out your Chintz"? In a generation where consumers preferred traditional furnishings, Ikea faced the dilemma of selling its streamlined, modern pieces. To combat the problem, Ikea's Anders Dahlvig (who would later become the president of the furniture behemoth) enlisted the help of ad executive Naresh Ramchandani, who coined the slogan and the jingle. The campaign intended to target women, the primary decision-makers when it came to interiors and furnishings, and persuade them that the modern woman needed modern furnishings. Not surprisingly, the commercial was initially met with backlash from Traditionalists, but, regardless of the critique, the campaign was incredibly successful. Furniture sales saw an uptick of 30 percent, and even more impressive is that this singular campaign is credited with swaying the taste of British households to embrace a more contemporary aesthetic. Curious, are you "Team Chintz" or "Team 'Chuck out your Chintz'"?

video via Vimeo, by Naresh Ramchandani for IKEA