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.

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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.

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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.

Credits:

Ikea