Some retailers are content to mark the grand opening of a store with a ribbon-cutting ceremony or giveaways.
Not Ikea.
To celebrate the opening of its store in Clermont-Ferrand, France, the brand teamed up with Parisian event agency Ubi Bene to create a vertical apartment that also functioned as a rock-climbing wall.
Stationed in the heart of the city, the outdoor apartment presented a variety of showroom-like settings similar to those seen in actual Ikea stores, including bedroom setups, seating areas, shelving units, and decor—all made up of products from the Swedish retailer, of course.
Standing 30 feet high, the wall came equipped with rock-climbing grips, as well as a system of pulleys that attached to harnesses climbers were required to wear. From September 10 to 14, the brand invited the public to test out the wall with the help of an on-site staff of professional climbers.
Though one might think the attention-grabbing nature of the installation alone fueled the idea, organizers were strategic in their approach, making sure to devise a marketing ploy that would appeal to the city’s inhabitants. In a press release that refers to the Clermont-Ferrand as a “sporty city,” the retailer explained the brand wanted to give locals an experience that would suit their interests.
