Monday, April 14, 2008

IKEA train interior in Kobe, Japan

image montage - pink tentacle

image - Kiyo

Image - Kiyo

Image - Kiyo

I don't think I'm the only one who has a love / hate relationship with Ikea. Such great designs at fantastically cheap prices... but the quality is a little questionable, and it does get a bit boring when everyone you know has the exact same bookshelf.

HOWEVER, you have to give IKEA some credit - their recent(ish) foray into selling fabrics by the metre has been a triumph - great designs, at incredibly cheap prices. They've also done an amazing job of marketing this product range. The latest example is the fit-out of a train from the Portliner Monorail in Kobe, Japan, to promote the opening of IKEA's new store at Port Island. They've fitted out the entire carriage with their latest prints and patterns - inside and out. The train will carry passengers in style until May 6.

via pink tentacle

(Also, I remember seeing some great shots last year of IKEA's temporary exhibit/concept store 'Everyday Fabulous', which coincided with New York design week. Another fantastic marketing concept, showcasing the best of IKEA's fabric and accessory designs, with a pinch of very effective guerilla marketing thrown in for good measure. Pics below.)

Ikea 'Everyday Fabulous' temporary concept store in Manhattan - image Apartment Therapy

More cute IKEA guerilla marketing pop-ups in NYC


4 comments:

  1. i like those mittens for when you are holding onto the handrail on the train. I hate touching that.

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  2. HEY you figured it out! I feel dumb now. I couldn't figure out why they hung the oven mitts up like that... I just thought it looked cool :) hee hee. thanks!

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  3. How fun and colourful it would be riding a train like that everyday to work.

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  4. Hi Natalie :) I know! I am jealous. I wan't public transport like this in Melbourne. Permanently! I'm sure it would encourage more people to take the train!

    ...why don't big companies every do anything fun like this in Melbourne? It's always Japan or London or New York... Blah.

    Hope all is well with you! x

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