Ikea is streaming a 24-hour global 'festival'

Ikea today is holding its first-ever "Ikea Festival," with virtual and in-store events taking place across multiple markets to celebrate the idea of home. Over 100 homes in more than 50 countries around the world are being showcased during the free festival. Among the activities taking place are concerts, cooking demonstrations, and home makeover demonstrations. The event also includes an online "Ikea Museum" in which people can "explore the diverse history of the brand over the decades." The festival is being streamed live today at Ikea.com/Festival and Ikea.us/Festival. Visitors can scroll through the site's different "channels," similar to channel-surfing live TV, to watch content from the different events taking place. These include concerts and performances from musicians and DJs from their own homes and studios, cooking demonstrations and discussions about sustainability and design. Subscribe to Ad Age now for the latest industry news and analysis. Celebrities and influencers taking part include the singer Arlo Parks, designer and DJ Virgil Abloh, chefs Pasta Queen, Paul Svensson, DJs Kaytranada, Loraine James and Zuli. There are also live streams from a factory floor in Zbąszynek, Poland and a prototype shop in Älmhult, Sweden. Viewers who watch to the end of a segment can also watch product "commercials" featuring real-time product information from whatever region they are located in. The festival was developed by Ikea's global team, led by Marcus Engman, chief creative officer for the Ingka group, and Ikea chief creative officer Linus Karlsson, in collaboration with agencies including Edelman and Work & Co, Swedish design agency PJDAD and events organizer Live Nation Sweden. Work & Co led design and development of the Festival site experience, while Edelman led concepting of the Festival and the content. Additionally, Ikea stores in different markets are holding their own events. In Canada, for example, Ikea will host limited capacity, interactive in-store activities such as creative spaces where visitors can learn art techniques, and workshop spaces where visitors can learn about home organization and room planning pro-tips, along with how to extend the life of their Ikea products. Similar events are taking place over four days in the retailer's Reading store in the U.K. "This is a new kind of experience Ikea wants to offer, celebrating, connecting, and engaging around life at home," said Erika Intiso, managing director of Ikea marketing and communication, in a statement. "Home tours around the world will open doors to new experiences and new inspiration. We want to spark a conversation on the more sustainable and affordable life at home of tomorrow."

Ikea is streaming a 24-hour global 'festival'

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