Ikea: Tiny Homes by Wieden+Kennedy Tokyo

Swedish retail giant Ikea has launched a series of brilliantly bonkers spots featuring a well-known soft toy shark to promote small living spaces.

‘Tiny Homes’ sees Blåhaj, the cuddly mascot, brought to life in the role of a passionate real estate agent. Growing up in the vast waters of Sweden, it wasn’t until Blåhaj moved to Tokyo that he discovered the joy of small apartments and how, with the right furnishings and layout, they can provide wonderful living quarters.

In a content series created by Wieden+Kennedy Tokyo, viewers see the excitable plushy shark taking to the streets to speak to city-goers about his unique passion for renting modest homes. His mission is to find a suitable tenant for his tiny apartment located in the city center, which is fully furnished with Ikea products and available to rent for a limited period (and exclusively for Ikea Family Members) for 99 yen per month.

The teeny flat is situated in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo, where the average rent is around £319 a month, or 49,000 yen, making Ikea Japan’s flat a hugely cheaper option. The catch? The apartment is less than 10 square meters in size.