Zakopane, often called the Polish Aspen, is a winter wonderland bustling with tourists year-round. At its heart lies Krupówki, a promenade, where for a fee, you could take a souvenir photo with a man in a white-bear costume. While the white bear has typically been a symbol of joy for over 100 years, lately, he's been a bit impolite.
This was learned by a Polish actress and influencer who accidentally caught him in her frame while recording private IG content. The bear showed vigilance and quickly attacked the influencer for using his image without payment. Since then, fame has been chasing the bear. The IG Stories quickly went viral, and the white bear from Krupówki became the anti-showcase of beautiful Zakopane.
But at IKEA, we believe bears should be friendly and accessible to all, just like our SNUTTIG teddy bear. We made it clear: our teddy bear is meant to be loved, cuddled, and photographed freely. This message, shared in RTM, became IKEA's most far-reaching non-paid communication ever, sparking action in our stores across Poland and boosting SNUTTIG sales fivefold, making our bear an icon of free hugs. Not bad for a zero-budget campaign, right?
