Ikea ventures into VR to create games for new store openings
Furniture retailer Ikea has partnered with software firm Wavemaker to develop a virtual reality game allowing shoppers to learn more about the store's products, as well as sustainability and design. The system, which uses a HTC Vive headset, allows customers to play a pillow toss game or spend time with a panda. Although neither firm released details of how much the VR game cost, Noah Mallin, Wavemaker’s head of experience, content and sponsorship said the technology could enable the creation of personalised catalogues or include product placement.

Having already entered augmented reality, Ikea is now exploring a way for shoppers to learn more about its products in virtual reality.

Working with the recently merged MEC-Maxus agency Wavemaker, Ikea worked with incorporated a virtual reality experience for one of its store openings in a Dallas suburb, immersing visitors in an Ikea world where they could play a “pillow toss” game with a coffee table or hang out with a panda inside a bamboo lamp. Nearly 300 people tried out the popular Swedish brand’s VR for the first time, spending between three and five minutes playing games, examining furniture or learning about sustainability and design.

The marketing play is Ikea’s latest move into the world of digitally showcasing products as it seeks to help shoppers learn more about its furniture in a more experiential way.