Storytelling has become a guiding principle for great marketing, letting companies neatly fit into consumers’ lives. But with one well-timed ad capable of changing someone’s shopping habits for years, how can brands address our milestone moments without seeming opportunistic?

Despite divorce rates in Europe being higher than ever, the majority of brands avoid talking about life after a split. But while it might not be part of traditional 'happy family' values, it’s all too real, and IKEA is tackling the taboo topic in its ‘Where Life Happens’ campaign.

According to 57% of parents, families are not as close as they used to be. This is partly driven by tendencies to see watching TV as bonding time. By encouraging people away from the sofa and towards the dinner table, brands can help families reconnect by sharing a proper meal.

Traditional social structures can seem inconveniently binary for some individuals – not everyone wants to be part of a nuclear family or search for the right partner with whom to raise a child. How do friends, family and strangers now fit into marriages, support networks and parenting choices?