An IKEA billboard reads "C'est laid en 'Tårbäk' ce prélart-là" (That linoleum is ugly AF). Right: An IKEA flyer with an 'Askvoll' bed frame and a 'Fryken' box set, with one square that reads "My 'Askvoll' roommate broke the bed frame," and "We've got so much 'Fryken' stuff."
Montrealers swear by IKEA furniture when it comes to setting up new digs on Moving Day, and this year the July 1 tradition is getting a hilarious twist. Those funky Swedish names for IKEA products that shoppers love to read aloud are part of a new ad campaign replacing Quebec curse words. The company suggests that every profanity you might want to use during a stressful move can be covered with an IKEA name and product.
Instead of yelling 'tabarnak' when you spill coffee on your old carpet, the retailer suggests shouting 'Tårbäk,' the name of its woven tapestry line, to help you sweep the mishap under the rug. Or perhaps your roommate's snide comment about how your books take up too much space, 'câlisse,' could turn into a reminder to buy a 'Kallax' IKEA bookshelf.
A billboard reads "T'en as en 'Kallax' des livres" (You have a lot of damn books) with the IKEA product name covering the Quebecois swear word.@rethinkideas | Instagram
Turns out there are a lot of IKEA words with phonetic similarities to both French and English swear words in the province. 'Criss' can become 'Kryssmast,' shining a light on the furniture retailer's line of lamps.
An ad on the side of a bus stop reads "Ça manque de lumière en 'Kryssmast' ici" (There's not enough light in here ffs), with a French curse word replaced with the name of an IKEA lamp.@rethinkideas | Instagram
Another ad reads, "T'as posé la tablette croche en 'Sibbhult'" (You put up the shelf crooked as hell), replacing the French Canadian curse 'ciboule' — a less offensive version of 'ciboire' — with the entirely PG name of IKEA's shelving line.
Another bus ad reads "T'as posé la tablette croche en 'Sibbhult'" (You put up the shelf crooked as hell), replacing French profanity 'ciboule' with the name of IKEA's shelving line.@rethinkideas | Instagram
"Moving Day is a phenomenon that is unique in Quebec. That’s why we were drawn to the local relevance of this campaign, 100% anchored in the uniqueness of Quebec and its French language," IKEA Marketing Communications Specialist Carolyn Thrasher said in a statement.
An empty IKEA glass jar with a lid called the 'Swearjär.'@rethinkideas | Instagram
Of course, if this trend actually catches on, you may not have anything left to fill your IKEA 'Swearjär.'
