How IKEA is making trendjacking part of its personality

Over the weekend, the "Caricature trend" took over social media feeds, with individuals sharing AI-generated caricatures of themselves. To join in, users are encouraged to use ChatGPT with the prompt "Create a caricature of me and my job based on everything you know about me". 

Amidst the playful and exaggerated cartoon-like self-portraits, IKEA Singapore has put its own twist on the trend by turning its beloved panda (Kramig), bear (Djungelskig) and shark (blahaj) soft toys into caricatures.

In the image, the three soft toys are huddled around a table, looking at an instruction manual similar to what shoppers receive with their purchases. The bear and shark soft toys are dressed in blue aprons, reminiscent of the uniforms employees wear, while a flag resembling the Singapore national flag peeks out from the bear's apron.

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IKEA Singapore's take on the trend provides a playful lens into how the brand interprets itself. "IKEA has always been known to enjoy a little trend and newsjacking," an IKEA spokesperson told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE. "This particular one aligns with IKEA's playful personality."

Seeing the positive response around the trend, the retailer wanted to join in and spread positivity too. In the past, IKEA Singapore has jumped on trending news topics with a lighthearted approach. In April last year, when US president Donald Trump unveiled new tariffs on goods, IKEA Singapore posted a photo of its Oftast side plate with the text: "Tariff-free China."

Similarly, when train disruptions on the East-West MRT line (EWL) dominated headlines in 2024, the brand shared a cheeky post reimagining stops along the MRT line as locations of its outlets, with the caption: "EWL down, but we're still up!"

According to IKEA Singapore, a brand fit check is always conducted to ensure a trend aligns with its values before engaging with the community, intentionally bringing joy or comic relief to what it calls "a chaotic world."

To remain authentic, staying true to its tone of voice, products, and core values is of utmost importance. "It's all about confident expression through a sense of humour. We don't always have to take ourselves too seriously all the time," said the spokesperson.

The "Caricature trend" is the latest addition to a growing wave of social media trends where users leverage ChatGPT to generate images of themselves. It follows the momentum of the "Ghibli trend" in April 2025, during which users transformed photographs of public figures and themselves into the signature style of Japanese animation studio Studio Ghibli.

In the same month, the "AI doll" trend emerged, with users and brands creating doll-like versions of themselves or brand representatives, complete with accessories reminiscent of traditional doll packaging.

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