Ikea has built its success on accessible price points and utilitarian design, but it's not often a brand associated with luxury. The Swedish furniture chain looked to tweak that image Wednesday evening by adding an upscale vibe to its Style 2009 party, which launched the new catalogue and collection. Eschewing its yellow-and-blue signage and suburban big-box image, the company took over a vacant retail space in the King Street East furniture and design district, leaving passersby to speculate if a new downtown location was opening.
"It was a guerilla PR tactic, but we also wanted to position ourselves competitively against the high-end furniture stores in the area," said Ikea Canada PR manager Madeleine Lowenborg-Frick, who planned the event. The downtown showroom isn't a permanent fixture, and items aren't for sale, but it will be open to the public until Sunday. (Last year's event was at Ikea's Etobicoke location.)
The 3,250-square-foot space—which Lowenborg-Frick said she found by driving up and down King Street looking for lease signs—took close to two weeks to set up for the launch party. Interior designer Neil Asselin designed the two floors, which displayed more than 250 items and reflected trends of minimalist design, citrine colour (evident from the four bright yellow side tables stacked in the window), and natural materials. Lowenborg-Frick said the setup differs from the usual "lifestyle" rooms in Ikea stores because she wanted the look of a more minimalist and upscale boutique. "It's really an attempt to get the consumer to understand that although we'll never let go of low prices, we really are growing the Ikea brand and offering higher-end items," she said.
On the second floor, servers offered guests Style-tinis—white chocolate liqueur, raspberry vodka, and gold-leaf garnish—and two DJs spun background music. Later in the evening, Ikea previewed its new commercial starring Canadian dancer Shugamai and Robert Muraine, a former contestant on So You Think You Can Dance. In the ad, which launches Monday, the two peformers decorate an Ikea living room while showing off their robot-like dance moves.
More than 200 guests attended the launch event, including HGTV personalities Suzanne Dimma and Peter Fallico. The 2009 Ikea catalogues are being delivered to Toronto homes today.
