If you’re a fan of television, Ikea’s latest collections may look very familiar. Stores across the UAE have taken inspiration from some of television’s most famous living rooms for their latest campaigns as part of its new ‘Real-Life Series’. From the famous orange couch where Homer Simpson and family spent countless hours in front of their beloved TV to Monica and Rachel’s immaculate apartment in Friends, Ikea has used some of its own pieces to recreate the famous sets. The campaign has been designed especially for the UAE as a way of bringing together people from many different backgrounds and appeal to the diverse expat community here. The Swedish brand also chose to recreate the sinister apartment from <a href="https://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/television/stranger-things-season-three-five-things-we-learnt-from-the-new-trailer-1.839406">Stranger Things</a>, completely with the pivotal multi-coloured string lights. To complete the rooms, thousands of items were collected from Ikea’s catalogue and website to find the perfect furniture for the iconic spaces. After a two-month search, the final pieces – as similar as possible or identical to the TV shows spaces - were chosen. The selected items were then sent to a 3D studio which integrated Ikea’s furniture to the iconic TV living rooms. "The Real-Life Series truly embodies the Ikea mission to create a better everyday life for the many people,” says Vinod Jayan, Ikea UAE, Egypt and Oman’s managing director. “We wanted to show all our customers here in the UAE how they could bring to life the iconic living spaces they see in their favourite shows. Like the selected television shows, Ikea appeals to the many, regardless of their background or living situation.” The Ikea Real-Life Series is set to come to life with a live event, where the three iconic rooms will be recreated in stores in the Middle East allowing people to visit the fictional spaces they love to watch on TV in real life.
