As IKEA lands in Aotearoa this week, the Love Taupō team has collaborated with Christchurch creative agency Make Collective to send a friendly, true-blue Kiwi welcome to the Swedish brand.
Taupō — named as one of the world’s Top 25 places to visit in 2025 and voted one of the Top 10 most welcoming destinations on Earth by Booking.com guests — is no stranger to feeling the love and returning it. This time round they’ve issued an open invitation to IKEA and all IKEA-lovers to visit “New Zealand’s most Swedish town”.
“There’s a little bit of Sweden in the heart of the North Island, and we’d love them to come down and experience it,” says Destination Great Lake Taupō General Manager Patrick Dault.
“Our natural alignment begins with big nature and flows on through our clean water, outdoor living, creative style, strong community values and a deep respect for the environment. In our own way, we really are New Zealand’s most Swedish town — so it felt perfectly natural to send IKEA a warm welcome.”
With tens of thousands of Kiwis expected to descend on Sylvia Park — and spend a little extra time in traffic — Make Collective has helped turn that wait into an invitation. The result: a playful roadside welcome encouraging motorists to “Assemble your own Taupō holiday” — a nod to IKEA’s flat-pack culture and the idea that the perfect getaway is something you build yourself.
Patrick says the message is also for the people on the shop floor and behind the scenes. “We wanted to send some love not just to shoppers, but to the retail teams, managers and crews who are about to head into an incredibly busy summer. Our hospitality and tourism workers in Taupō know exactly what that ramp-up feels like — and we’re cheering the IKEA team on as they take it all on.”
And in true Love Taupō style, the invitation doesn’t stop there. “If any IKEA staff, leadership — or even the owners — are in need of a well-earned break after the launch rush, we’d love to host you in New Zealand’s very own ‘Mini-Sweden’. Think less Stockholm, more sauna, lakes, forests and mountain adventures. And hey… if you’re ever considering where the next superstore might go — the heart of the North Island has a pretty nice ring to it,” he says.
Make Collective’s creative lead Natalie Crowe says the campaign was designed to meet people where their mindset already is. “Everyone’s thinking IKEA this week — flat-packs, clever design and creating something from scratch. Tapping into that moment with a Taupō lens felt natural, light-hearted and very Kiwi. It’s a little love note to a global brand, from a town that’s feeling the love right back.”
Visitors can explore Love Taupō’s full “assemble your own adventure” list at lovetaupo.com.
