Table of Contents
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Jul 2, 2025 04:03 PM
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Platform
Digital Marketing
Category
Commerce
Topic
Branding
AI summary
IKEA's catalogues effectively used visual storytelling to engage customers by depicting relatable, lived-in spaces, showcasing real-life moments and strategic imperfections, ultimately selling a lifestyle rather than just furniture. This approach drives higher engagement and illustrates the importance of focusing on customer outcomes in marketing.
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How IKEA Catalogues Built Stories, Not Just Product Lists
IKEA's catalogues weren't about selling furniture. They were about selling a life you could actually live.
For decades, these catalogues showed us something most companies missed: people don't buy products, they buy better versions of their lives. Instead of sterile product shots, IKEA showed us messy kitchens with half-eaten breakfast bowls, living rooms with books scattered about, and bedrooms that looked like someone actually slept in them.
TL;DR: Key Points
- IKEA catalogues told visual stories instead of listing products
- Real-life mess and details made scenes believable and relatable
- Smart use of lighting and layout created emotional connections
- Customers could picture themselves using the furniture in their own homes
- Storytelling approach drove higher engagement and sales than traditional product photography
Why This Approach Worked So Well
Walk into any furniture showroom and you'll see pristine displays that look nothing like real homes. IKEA did the opposite. Their catalogue pages showed:
- Actual clutter: Toys on the floor, dishes in the sink, clothes draped over chairs
- Real lighting: Warm, lived-in spaces instead of harsh studio lighting
- Genuine moments: Kids playing, adults working from home, families gathered around tables
This wasn't accident. Every "messy" detail was carefully planned to make you think "that could be my home."
The Design Techniques Behind the Magic
Layout That Tells Stories
Each room setup followed natural sight lines. Your eye would travel from the main furniture piece to smaller details that reinforced the story. A desk scene might include:
- The chair (the product they're selling)
- An open laptop showing work in progress
- A coffee mug with a slight ring stain
- Papers scattered naturally, not arranged
Lighting That Creates Mood
IKEA's photographers used lighting to suggest time of day and activity. Morning kitchen scenes had bright, energetic light. Evening living rooms glowed warmly from table lamps. This wasn't just pretty photography - it helped you imagine using these spaces at different times.
Strategic Imperfection
The "mess" wasn't random. Every rumpled cushion and scattered book served a purpose:
- Made expensive-looking furniture feel accessible
- Showed the furniture could handle real family life
- Helped customers picture their own belongings in these spaces
Pixelhaze Tip: When shooting your own product photos, add one "imperfect" element that suggests use. A slightly moved chair, a book left open, or a mug placed naturally can make staged shots feel genuine.
What This Means for Your Business
You don't need IKEA's budget to use these ideas. Whether you're selling services, products, or anything else, focus on the outcome your customer wants, not just what you're offering.
Instead of showing your product in isolation, show it solving a real problem or improving someone's day. If you design websites, show the business owner's relief when customers can finally find what they need. If you sell software, show the team celebrating when their workflow actually works.
The principle is the same: sell the story, not the thing.
Quick Questions
How do I add storytelling to my product photos?
Start with one question: what does success look like for your customer? Then create a scene that shows that success. Include small details that make it feel real, not staged.
Does this work for services too?
Absolutely. Show the end result of your service in action. Web designers can show business owners confidently presenting their new site. Consultants can show teams working smoothly with their new processes.
What if my product isn't visual?
Focus on the moment your customer realises your product has solved their problem. What does their workspace look like? How do they feel? Build your story around that transformation.
Jargon Buster
- Layout: How you arrange elements in a photo or design to guide the viewer's eye
- Lifestyle marketing: Showing how your product fits into someone's ideal daily life
- Visual narrative: Using images to tell a story that connects emotionally with viewers
The Bottom Line
IKEA's catalogues worked because they understood something fundamental about how people make decisions. We don't buy products - we buy better versions of our lives.
When you show your product or service in action, solving real problems for real people, you're not just marketing. You're helping customers picture a better future for themselves. And that's something worth buying into.
This approach takes more thought than standard product shots, but it's worth it. Because in a world full of perfect, sterile marketing, showing something real and relatable will always stand out.