10 spots left to join us for the Digiday Publishing Summit

Join us Sept. 14-16 in Miami to connect with top publishing leaders

SECURE YOUR SEAT

People can’t stop playing with Ikea’s meatball-slinging VR experience

Finally, a practical use for virtual reality: One that involves Ikea’s Swedish meatballs.

Earlier this month, Ikea jumped into the VR craze and rolled out an “experience” that lets people build a virtual kitchen. The idea, according to a press release, is to “solicit consumer feedback as Ikea continues to explore the possible implications of the technology for the home.”

Well, one possible implication was recreating the experience of shoveling dozens of Swedish meatballs down your gullet until passing out in the Ikea showroom. In a recent update, as requested by users, Ikea added a game where people can do just that, virtually.

The VR meatball eating addition is paying off for the brand because people are borderline obsessed with it, as evident in this clip uploaded to YouTube where one person admitted to spending 45 minutes throwing meatballs and said they “loved every second.”

“The reviews for the game make me want to visit the fantastical wonderland that is Ikea more than the actual game does,” a person commented on Reddit, where sincerity is rare. Another person added: “I’ve been looking for the ultimate IKEA meatball experience and it’s finally here.”

So if a brand is looking for people to actually use their VR attempt, just add some meatballs.

More in Marketing

Brand marketers are adopting fan-first social media strategies

Bigger brands are picking up a social playbook perfected by startup and scaleup marketers, having seen the results. But can it work at scale?

Creators build GEO strategies to get discovered by brands and agencies in AI search

With no established playbook for AI search, creators are starting to build their own.

How H&M, Chobani, UrbanStems and Teleties are refining their partnership strategies

Brands are refining partnerships to match audiences, drive cultural relevance and find new growth.