IKEA ineffectually manipulates media

Over the e-transom: From: Carsten Bladt. Subj: First off thanks for a nice blog. Body: "Secondly I wanted to send you a tip on something from IKEA in England. It's a pretty heartfelt idea that hits in a good way. Basically the idea is that if you buy IKEA kitchens you save money and can spend extra time out of the office and use your time on other things like family, hobbies and the such. I feel the 30 second spot is well executed and the website has some pretty creative interactives to get you going with all the spare time you get on your hands. Check out the spot and site here: http://www.lifeoutsidework.co.uk Thx. for your time." Uh, what is this boilerplate bullshit? So this site gets checked out and it's...a Valium enema nonthreatening. But who is this m~y~s~t~e~r~i~o~u~s Bladt? The source code for the IKEA site reveals it was "Developed by N�RD ApS - http://www.NoeRD.dk." A search for  "Carsten Bladt" shows only 18 hits, one for a forum message board hosted at  clan.noerd.dk  with several posts by our friendly stranger. Here the trail runs cold, because I can't read IKEA. An image search reveals what appears to be Carsten's homepage. Note the picture (above) of one Sebastian Bladt, wearing  a totally IKEAn tshirt with a mysterious ABI01 imprint. The prosecution rests. Here's your press, Mr. Carsten Bladt: your site sucks, IKEA is a pederast.

Comments

[Ben Popken]

Ok, so maybe you're not a blog spammer, like this guy http://gattacainc.typepad.com/my_weblog/2005/10/in_the_future_t_1.html#comments but it smelt like one. Thanks for the clarification. Sorry for the mockery. Ads don't have to be threatening, but it helps the subversive destabalization movement... The ad is definitely well executed and the whole workplace chaingang song is pretty cool. My quickdraw favors cynicism over rose petals, indicating the strength of the campaign. That it was as heartwarming as you said stoked my sardornic ire that much more quickly. Yes, full disclosure of your relation to the campaign is good. Otherwise the non-customized text sets off alarms. Thanks for writing in and reading and keeping The Spunker on point. Postscript: I actually do like IKEA and have plans to purchase a new desk from them in the coming weeks.

[carsten bladt]

I guess I'm a little torn up. Re-reading my post I can see, that I've written Spunker (your blog) as one of the places that I also posted on. A little bit of blood rushing to my head. The fourth site I posted on was Adfreak. I added my personal website with vacation pictures in my first post. The guy in the picutre with the same last name Bladt has nothing to do with it.

[carsten bladt]

It's me. Actually I was just trying to, as I wrote to you, bring som attention to a campaign/commmercial by IKEA, that I think is decent and well executed. My connection to the campaign is that the I have worked with the internet company NöRD and still stay in touch with them and am curious to what they do. Unfortunate that you mention them on your slaughtering way putting them under a very bad light which most definately is not just, as they have nothing to do with my attempt to lobby for the IKEA campaign. That's a shame.

I honestly think it's a nice execution and thought it deserved some attention. That's why I sent it to you, as I also mentioned in my mail, because I respect(ed) your blog and think your posts are varied and insightful.

It's unfortunate, that you didn't just bring your hatred towards me on my personal gmail that now also has a bad reek to it. Why didn't you even just respond to me directly with a short "You miserable beast - who are you?" Giving me the chance to say "Hi" and I guess apologise for trying to send your eyeballs that way. And therefore checking if I really existed, instead of spending time googling me (or whatever you do to track someone down). I guess I'm a little bit down, that my google-factor isn't all that high.

I'ma little confused with your link "Send in your tips" I don't really understand the purpose of your suggestion here, if all one gets is hung out to dry. I tipped you, and if you don't like the tip, you could've just let it rot in your deleted mails?

Admittedly I've send the "TIP" to a couple of different blogs that I frequent: Adjab, Spunker and Adland. Until now Adland let the post come and go without any punding and I await the bashing that I will recieve from Spunker and Adjab. I used near same wording on my four different posts as I guess copy-paste is in my nature and I said what I wanted to say with the text written.

I'm sorry that you don't agree on the quality level of the IKEA campaign and IKEA as a company - I guess that's your free will to express your opinion, as I also did - just a little more discretely. I apologise for my enthusiasm. [A sidenote - does all advertising have to be threatening?]

Looking back I should've written some in the lines of "An internet agency I used to work has done pretty nice things with an IKEA campaign" to draw up the lines straight.

Yes, I feel the press(ure) you've sent me. No, thanks.