In case you missed it, last week Balenciaga’s new tote went viral after geniuses started noticing its striking resemblance to IKEA’s Frakta shopping bag.
The Arena Extra-Large Shopper Tote that the French fashion house released in February retails for a cool $2847 AUD, while IKEA’s can be snapped up for 0.99c.
That’s a 2,000% markup, all in the name of fashion.
Now, IKEA has responded to whole situation with a brilliant ad helping their shoppers to identify the real deal (the original blue shopping bag) from a fake (Balenciaga’s leather, designer tote).
Created by the agency ACNE and posted on Creative Review, the instructions for identifying the OG bag are as follows:
“1. Shake it: If it rustles, it’s the real deal. 2. Multifunctional: It can carry hockey gear, bricks and even water. 3. Throw it in the dirt: A true Frakta is simply rinsed off with a garden hose when dirty. 4. Price tag: Only $0.99.”
Though the ad could be seen as IKEA taking a dig at Balenciaga’s copycat design, the company’s initial response several days ago was, “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!”
On today’s hilarious quip, ACNE’s Creative Director Johan Holgrem said, “I like the flirt, and I thought, ‘Why not flirt back?’ And we did.”
