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Blue humour: Ikea pokes fun at Balenciaga’s new $2,150 bag

An Ikea FRAKTA bag - not a Balenciaga tote - Ikea
An Ikea FRAKTA bag - not a Balenciaga tote - Ikea

If it rustles, it's the real deal.

That's the advice from Ikea, who have responded to the comparisons being made between influential fashion label Balenciaga's new $2,150 (£1,670) tote and the Swedish furniture chain's 40p blue bags.

Social media users had been quick to point out the similarity between the two items.

Ikea issued a brief statement in response to the jokes. “We are deeply flattered that the Balenciaga tote bag resembles the Ikea iconic sustainable blue bag for 99 cents. Nothing beats the versatility of a great big blue bag!” a spokesperson said.

But now it has gone one step further by releasing a tongue-in-cheek advert called: “How to identify an original Ikea FRAKTA bag”.

The first point of difference is the sound it makes, with the ad noting the Balenciaga bag doesn't have the same rustle that can be heard in the halls of Ikea stores around the world.

It claims their original carrier has far more uses. "It can carry hockey gear, bricks and even water."

Other points of difference include the fact it can be cleaned with a hose, can be folded up into the size of a small purse, sports an authentic Ikea tag, and, or course, costs only 99 cents (40p).

The Ikea ad - Credit: Ikea
The Ikea adCredit: Ikea

The advert was the idea of the creative director of ad agency Acne.

“I wanted to act fast, so I called Morten Kjaer from Ikea Creative Hub. He loved the idea,” Johan Holmgren told AdFreak.

“The day after the Balenciaga bag was launched, I said, ‘We’ll have the creative work ready within two hours.’ We then went to one of our fashion photographers, Anders Kylberg, and shot the bag in his studio, with that same feeling and lighting as the Balenciaga bag. That same day, we sent the finished work to all markets.”

It is not the first time Ikea has responded with humour to trending stories.

In August, it designed a giant bed that Kanye West could put his name to after the rapper revealed an interest in making furniture.

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