The first rule of Ikea Club is you do not talk about Ikea Club.

Fight Club (the movie rather than the book) was released in 1999. In part a polemic against consumerism, it features one scene where the protagonist walks through his own home as if it were an Ikea catalog. You might be interested to watch the scene here. “You are not the contents of your wallet,” says the anti-hero later i nteh movie. “You are not a beautiful or unique snowflake.”

Ironically, Ikea seems to have been inspired by the concept to create its 2014 catalog app some 15 years later, in an attempt to convince you that you are a beautiful and unique snowflake, and simultaneously relieve you of the contents of your wallet. You might be interested to watch the company advert here.

Retailers are using mobile much more heavily to engage with consumers - and they need to since we found that 67% of Smartphone Owners Use Devices In-Store (report available to clients only, although both clients and non-clients signed up to our website should be able to access Next Winners in Mobile Media which explores, amongst other things, innovative retail experiences). As strange as it is for Ikea to have taken an anti-Ikea cultural moment to sell itself, it’s all part of general trend by retailers to use new technologies, and particularly use mobile technology, to get consumers to make that purchase. I don’t know about you, but having watched all that, I’m off to buy some soap.