# Comical Brand Pictographs These New IKEA Signs are Hilariously Obvious By M | Published 2014-05-30 | Marketing Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ikea-signs References: [psfk](http://www.psfk.com/2014/05/ikea-pictograms-headquarters.html) & [ikea](http://www.ikea.com/us/en/) The newest [IKEA](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/eureka-spiritis) signs for the brand's office headquarters uniquely tie the IKEA mantra and functionality in a comical way. Hertz designed these new [IKEA pictograph signs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pictograms-iconic-japanese-designs) to have an obvious meaning as well as offer a touch of humor to the headquarter's office. These pictographs offer IKEA workers the opportunity to understand signs for the bathroom, recycling, telephone use and lunchroom areas by cleverly tapping into IKEA's already established branding. The pictographs are featured in IKEA's iconic yellow coloring and feature stick figures acting out simple day to day tasks. Each of the pictographs cleverly incorporates well-timed humor into its message. For example, the new [bathroom signs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ikea-bsingen) feature yellow male and female stick figures crossing their legs anticipating having to go to the bathroom. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 4.2/10 - Popularity: 74% | Activity: 45% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Marketing](https://www.trendhunter.com/marketing) > [Branding](https://www.trendhunter.com/branding) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Comical Brand Pictographs:** Adding humor and personality to company signage offers a unique branding opportunity. - **Functional Stick Figure Illustrations:** Easy-to-understand stick figure illustrations can be used in a variety of industries beyond signage, including product instructions and educational materials. - **Brand Consistency in Design:** Creating branded design elements like color, style, and language consistency across all materials creates a cohesive and memorable experience for customers. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Office Supply:** Incorporating humor into office signage and products can offer a fun and creative way for companies in the office supply industry to differentiate themselves from competitors. - **Retail:** Stick figure illustrations can be used for packaging, in-store displays, and advertising materials to simplify complex messages and create a recognizable brand aesthetic. - **Education:** Humorous and easy-to-understand illustrations can be used in educational materials for students of all ages to make learning more engaging and fun. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Brighton Retail Launch Ads](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ikea-brighton.md) - [Premium Kitchen Pranks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/eureka-spiritis.md) - [Candid Furniture Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/life-is-not-an-ikea-catalog.md) - [Household Problem Solver Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/retail-therapy-site.md) - [Humorous Brand Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ikea-rewards-program.md) - [Humorous Pet Furniture Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/utsdd.md) - [Anthropomorphic Store Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/short-social-films.md) - [Train-Inspired Wayfinding Markers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/wayfinding-markers.md) - [Invisible Furniture Capsules](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/invsbal.md)