Would it be possible for a small creative company to run its office out of an Ikea store? Rock Candy Media, an Austin-based experiential marketing and strategy firm, didn’t exactly answer that question but used it as a humorous premise for a new Web video that lampoons how difficult it is to find office space in Austin.

The video, titled “Workin’ At Ikea,” sees Rock Candy owner Annie Jones, managing partner Sam Kimelman and senior developer Scott Mise squatting and trying to conduct business in office spaces throughout the Ikea store in Round Rock, with occasional stops for play time in the kids section and a bite to eat in the chain’s famous cafeteria. While the video depicts five days of borderline loitering, Jones and her team shot it in one day in August. It was inspired by the agency’s search for a second office north of its headquarters in the Frost Bank Tower.

That search ended with a new spot at the Tech Ranch Austin business incubator, making it the only creative agency in that hub.

Kimelman said the guerrilla marketing clip — scroll down the page to see the video or check out the link above — was created to show potential clients the company’s creative approach and build awareness as it seeks to grow from its $2 million in annual revenue.

“It’s the old thing of ‘show, don’t tell,’ because we can say to people what we excel at and give them the bullet points, but it’s harder to show what that means,” he said. “Making a video like this shows them how we think.”

Jones said the video has caused a spike in business leads from YouTube, showing how effective well-made video can be for companies creating their own content.

 

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