IKEA Alsulaiman has launched a football-themed campaign in Saudi Arabia that rewards fans with discounts on sofas whenever a player uses one of the sport’s most talked-about defensive tactics — lying behind the free-kick wall to block low shots.
Created by Memac Ogilvy, the campaign, titled “Flat Out,” ties real-time football moments to retail offers. During televised matches, fans can capture the moment a player lies flat behind the defensive wall during a free kick and send the screenshot to IKEA Saudi Arabia via direct message, along with their email address and phone number, to receive a sofa discount.
The size of the discount is linked to the player’s jersey number. For example, if player number 25 is lying behind the wall, customers receive a 25% discount on a sofa purchase.
The campaign draws on the growing popularity of the defensive tactic, which has become a familiar feature of modern football as teams look for new ways to prevent low free kicks from slipping beneath the wall. IKEA saw a playful connection between footballers lying on the pitch and fans watching matches while relaxing on their sofas.
Alsulaiman Group Chief Marketing & Communications Officer Rami Rihani said: “Every football fan recognizes the player lying behind the wall. We saw more than a defensive tactic, we saw an opportunity to connect with fans in a way that felt natural, timely, and unmistakably IKEA. If the players are getting comfortable on the pitch, we think our customers deserve to get even more comfortable at home. ‘Flat Out’ reflects our approach to balancing relevance with commercial objectives by creating brand interactions that don’t interrupt the experience but rather enhance it. When fans are rewarded for paying closer attention to the game they already love, everyone wins.”
According to IKEA, the campaign has already resulted in multiple sofa discounts, with customers participating by spotting qualifying moments during matches. With more fixtures remaining, the retailer expects additional opportunities for fans to earn rewards.
The activation is designed to encourage football fans to engage more closely with live matches while creating a direct link between a widely recognised in-game moment and IKEA’s home furnishing products.
