“Consumers Are Almost Like People”: Interpellation, Ideology and IKEA
In 1976, Ingvar Kamprad produced his manifesto, “The Testament of a Furniture Dealer”. The intention of the writing was to give instruction to his IKEA co-workers about how “to create a better everyday life for the many people” through the adoption “of [a] framework of ideas” designed to “be a beneficial influence on practically all markets” (1976, pp. 2-3). By adopting such an ideological position, IKEA has been able to create a discourse that shifts the problems produced by notions of consumerism and consumer capitalism into a discourse of choice, freedom and happiness. O 'Shaughnessy & Stadler argue that through “language, texts and representations” within genres, it is …show more content…
Meanwhile, the items are imbued with qualities and values deemed important and desirable- such as the choice to create memories, to be happy and enjoy the freedom of choosing what combination of products to acquire. Whilst offering this role it is apparent that the subject has already accepted the role offered because IKEA believe “they [the design items] are developed with an understanding that people want things that things that make life easier (function), that are beautiful (form), demand value for money (quality) care about the planet (sustainability), and are affordable (low price)” which are designed “to create a better everyday life for the many people” (IKEA, 2016, p. 167). The framing of this argument, in this way, demonstrates that IKEA wish the consumer to understand they are implicit in ‘democratic design’ – that it occurs because it is indeed what the consumer expects to happen. In the case of the examples presented, the reading of this genre is of “a range of products that attract custom and awaken desire” (Jewson & Kristoffersson, 2014, p. 109; Jameson, 1998, p. 20) . Through this interpellation as consumer, the design items’ features and imbued values, allow the reader to internalise the commonsense view that adopting a consumer capitalist ideology should be natural and
In 1976, Ingvar Kamprad produced his manifesto, “The Testament of a Furniture Dealer”. The intention of the writing was to give instruction to his IKEA co-workers about how “to create a better everyday life for the many people” through the adoption “of [a] framework of ideas” designed to “be a beneficial influence on practically all markets” (1976, pp. 2-3). By adopting such an ideological position, IKEA has been able to create a discourse that shifts the problems produced by notions of consumerism and consumer capitalism into a discourse of choice, freedom and happiness. O 'Shaughnessy & Stadler argue that through “language, texts and representations” within genres, it is …show more content…
Meanwhile, the items are imbued with qualities and values deemed important and desirable- such as the choice to create memories, to be happy and enjoy the freedom of choosing what combination of products to acquire. Whilst offering this role it is apparent that the subject has already accepted the role offered because IKEA believe “they [the design items] are developed with an understanding that people want things that things that make life easier (function), that are beautiful (form), demand value for money (quality) care about the planet (sustainability), and are affordable (low price)” which are designed “to create a better everyday life for the many people” (IKEA, 2016, p. 167). The framing of this argument, in this way, demonstrates that IKEA wish the consumer to understand they are implicit in ‘democratic design’ – that it occurs because it is indeed what the consumer expects to happen. In the case of the examples presented, the reading of this genre is of “a range of products that attract custom and awaken desire” (Jewson & Kristoffersson, 2014, p. 109; Jameson, 1998, p. 20) . Through this interpellation as consumer, the design items’ features and imbued values, allow the reader to internalise the commonsense view that adopting a consumer capitalist ideology should be natural and