IKEA’s toys cover their eyes to show who else domestic violence hurts

A plush orangutan sits on a child’s table with both hands over its eyes. In another image, a yellow octopus curls a tentacle across its face. Around them are the ordinary details of a family home: wooden floors, small chairs and scattered toys.

These familiar objects carry an uncomfortable message in IKEA Portugal’s campaign, “Violence against women never affects only women.” Created by Uzina and released in March 2026, the print series draws attention to children living with domestic violence.

A child’s experience, expressed through a toy

The toys’ gestures give the images their meaning. Covering their eyes suggests something frightening happening within the home. The children themselves remain outside the frame, but their belongings make their presence clear.

That choice gives the campaign a way to address a difficult subject without showing an act of violence. A toy usually offers comfort. Here, it appears to need protection itself.

The dimly lit rooms reinforce that reading. These are recognisable domestic spaces, yet the atmosphere feels tense. The furniture and toys place the message inside the everyday environments IKEA helps people create.

The headline then connects the scene to the people affected. Its point is that violence directed at a woman also reaches the children sharing her home. The image asks viewers to consider what those children see, hear and experience.

The message leads to an existing support service

The campaign continues IKEA Portugal’s partnership with CIG, Portugal’s Commission for Citizenship and Gender Equality.

Its supporting copy highlights children accompanying women into safe houses. That detail grounds the creative idea in the practical reality of leaving an abusive home: a woman seeking safety may also be finding safety for her children.

Each execution also directs attention to a discreet support route through IKEA’s customer service. Selecting option eight connects callers to the Domestic Violence Victim Information Service. The call appears in their history as a call to IKEA.

This service predates the print campaign. In January 2026, Ingka Group reported that it had received more than 1,000 contacts between January and September 2025, more than twice the number recorded in 2024.

Familiar products give the message a place in the home

IKEA’s connection to domestic life gives these images particular relevance. Its products sit in the rooms where families spend time together, including children’s bedrooms and play spaces.

By putting those products at the centre of the work, the campaign makes the home itself part of the story. The small, protective gestures of the toys invite viewers to look beyond the person directly targeted by abuse and recognise the children living alongside it.

Credits

Brand: IKEA Portugal. Agency: Uzina. Partner: CIG, Commission for Citizenship and Gender Equality. Executive Creative Director: Susana Albuquerque. Creative Director: Sérgio Gomes. Art Director: Micael Nunes. Copywriter: Francisco Carvalho. Designer: Ema Caetano.