On September 10, 2016, IKEA— already widely known as a furniture store and restaurant—opens The Dining Club in London. The Dining Club allows patrons to make a meal for up to nineteen of their friends, all under the supervision of a chef. Featuring Swedish delicacies, a virtually reality kitchen, and, of course, an experience shop, IKEA’s Dining Club sells more than just food; it sells an experience.
Although the Dining Club will be new, its message is not. IKEA’s advertisements almost always generate feelings of community, warmth, togetherness, family, and sharing; in short, feelings associated with belonging. After gathering around nineteen of your closest friends, IKEA seeks to create a treasured memory, and, consequentially, insert a favorable plug for the IKEA brand.
IKEA’s Dining Club will only be open for 15 days and only takes 38 reservations, which maintains the exclusivity of eating in a friend’s home. However, reservations should not severely limit the amount of people able to take part in IKEA’s new campaign. Accompanying the dining experience will be a series of lectures ranging from cooking with kids to the environmental impacts of how we eat. The Dining Club meal is but one facet of IKEA’s campaign.
The campaign video’s brightly colored fruits and fresh ingredients complement the yellow glow of shared time with friends. IKEA is selling more than just a meal; it is selling the space in which to create community oriented experiences.
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