An experimental theatre troupe, Mammoth Music Theatre, has linked up with Swedish uber retailer IKEA to stage a domestic drama-themed opera – Flatpack. It is a new opera about furniture and everyday domestic life.
This form of brand backed theatre is being staged at Ikea’s Wembley superstore and is performed in a public space within shop opening hours. The location and timing aims to attract aan audience of both unsuspecting shoppers and an opera audience.
Classical singers, musicians, dancers and actors move among the audience in a promenade style performance. The cast act and sing their way through the store and the story intertwines with the products on offer as the opera moves from space to space. Sets span the shop’s kitchens, living rooms and bedrooms as the plot explores issues such as domesticity, consumerism and the challenges of today’s busy lifestyle.
The brand is in evidence almost throughout. Some of the performers wear IKEA’s signature blue and yellow costumes, whilst a musician creates a soundtrack using Ikea “kitchen products” as percussion instruments including using saucepans and other cooking utensils.
Performance take place in evening shopping hours and the troupe aims to challenge conventional opera and its stuffy image in the hope of attracting a new breed of audience
Comment:
The Swedish furniture behemoth has a heritage for innovative and interesting approaches to marketing and this new brand backed operatic partnership dovetails neatly with its previous approach.
Why simply shell out vast sums on sponsoring traditional theatre and opera when a brand can gain more leverage, benefit from enhanced on-stage product placement through this sort of experimental marketing?
Perhaps because most consumers won’t take such a show seriously.
Then again, Ikea has always been happy to mock itself.
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