Furniture retailer Ikea is celebrating the opening of its new Oxford Street flagship store with a series of experiential activations running across London.
Developed with creative outfit Lab54, the Swedish brand executed a series of experiential events to engage with young Londoners, spotlighting the rising cost of living and shifting social habits.
Ikea lists the events as follows:
- The Orange Room, Stratford: 250 attendees with headline DJs Wilfy D and Changing Currents performing, themed around ‘neighbourhood’
- Loft Studios, NW10: 75 attendees with headline DJs Denham Audio and Annabel Stop It, with the party themed around ‘IKEA Hacks’ and primarily intended for a student audience
- City Best Mangal, Old Street: kebab shop party with 40 attendees, with Shift K3y and TeeDee performing
- Charing Cross Library: over 200 attendees in a truly unique location, with Millie Cotton, Jammer, Arielle Free and Hannah Wants performing
- Corner New Cross Café: LGBTQ+ Sunday brunch event, with performers including Lagoon and Bimini
“IKEA has been a part of people’s homes for over 80 years, constantly learning and adapting to create solutions for a better life at home,” said Nathan Mercer, IKEA creative leader.
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“This campaign was a natural extension of this, and we looked to apply our understanding of how young people live and socialise to help us to create meaningful and engaging experiences that resonate with young Londoners, while also helping to demonstrate our commitment to being a relevant and accessible brand for a whole new generation. Ultimately, we created a lot of fun, didn’t take ourselves too seriously and put the brand in the hands of young people.”
These ‘housewarming’ events are intended to act as a key part of Ikea’s “takeover” of the city, marking its arrival into the heart of London as it looks to embed itself into local culture.
Joe Gordon, founder and CEO of Lab54 added: “These were some of the best parties we’ve ever thrown. Partnering with Ikea allowed us to continue to support our community by using alternative spaces whilst promoting emerging electronic artists on our platforms in ways that otherwise wouldn’t be possible.
“It also meant we got to throw an insane night in a public library which for me, was a personal favourite, and something we will continue to push forward.”
