How do you build up anticipation for a new product? How about locking someone in a small apartment for a couple of weeks, and stream 24/7 live video of them waiting for your product to arrive?!

IKEA Germany thought this would be a great way to promote the arrival of their new September catalogue. During August and September, the world got to watch Nils, a young German guy that IKEA locked away in a dull and lifeless apartment, living his daily life in his living room and waiting for the IKEA catalogue to arrive. And, just in case you didn’t believe this was for real, IKEA even provided Nils’ phone number, so you could call him up while watching it all live online! Once the catalogue arrived, we again got to watch Nils (still locked away) turn his dull and lifeless batchelor pad into a glowing example of the interior design goodiness IKEA has so famously brought to many a home!

The website is now closed, but we have included some snippets for your viewing pleasure.