Longtime fans of IKEA have grown accustomed to enjoying the myriad ways the brand looks to bring value and quality to the average man on the street. The company has grown from a small Scandinavian outfit to an international brand that designs home furnishings, and even food products. IKEA has often declared their commitment to improving the everyday lives of many, and their consistent, affordable pricing certainly does that. But the unexpected quality of all of their home furnishings, married to that beautiful, clean European design, also gives people the opportunity to enjoy beautiful things at a fraction of the cost found in the stores of designer manufacturers. Well, it seems like IKEA is poised to create a whole new group of lifelong fans through a unique public interaction, a Pop-Up lounge now available for the general public at Paris Airport.
Interested parties should head over to Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris France, and continue on to Terminal 3. From July 13th through August 5th of this year, IKEA has installed a VIP Lounge. But you won’t need any sort of airline’s frequent flier card to attain access. The IKEA VIP Lounge is free for all comers. Considering that the average wait time in Terminal 3 approaches two hours, the Lounge should be a welcome respite from the uncomfortable hustle and bustle of Charles de Gaulle airport.
The VIP Lounge consists of nine unique rooms, and totals two hundred meters of usable space. Each room has a different focus. One of the rooms maintains access for the disabled, another consists of a children’s play area, which will be continuously supervised, and many of them are arrayed as living rooms. Guests will find a wide range of IKEA products, including couches, beds, loveseats, tables for reading and televisions to enjoy as well. It’s an incredible place to relax and regroup during a long travel day, and the fact that it is completely free should guarantee its success.
The VIP Lounge is laid out in a high-ceilinged, white space, with windows on each side from floor to ceiling. The predominant color is white, and each area is sectioned off with clear walls, so that guests walking by can still explore all of the displayed furniture. And since it’s simply a lounge and not any sort of shopping experience, visitors can rest easy knowing their respite won’t be interrupted by a salesperson looking to get them to take home a piece of furniture. It’s truly an effort by the company to reward their fans, while giving brand detractors a moment of pause. As a marketing effort, it’s rather genius, and travelers of all shapes and sizes are the real winners.
Of course, IKEA isn’t giving away any obvious branding opportunities. Segmented bedroom areas are decorated with the company’s standard monogram wall decals, including words of welcome in several languages. French is obviously heavily featured, but international travelers will surely be fine navigating from room to room. After all, IKEA stores can already be found in nearly every country in the world.
