A Virtual Influencer Stars In This IKEA In-Store Installation

IKEA launched something unique in Tokyo this past weekend: a physical in-store installation featuring a virtual influencer.

Imma is a rising star on social media. She counts just under 250,000 followers on Instagram and works with many brands across the beauty and lifestyle industry. Nothing novel for a social media influencer. Except Imma is not real, she does not really exist. Instead, she is one of several virtual influencers.

And this past weekend, Imma was the store of a real-world in-store installation at the IKEA Harajuku location in Tokyo. Over three days, Imma lived in the windows of the IKEA’s store, redesigned for the occasion as her living room and bedroom.

Of course, these could not have been real living spaces, like the ones you usually find in an IKEA store. Imma is a virtual influencer, and she cannot exist in real-life spaces. IKEA explained that it created the installation “Happiness at home” using high-definition LED screens placed inside of the physical rooms. The physical space was “curated” by Imma to give the appearance of it being a real place.

You can follow the life of Imma in this installation in the video below. But you should know that the video lasts 9 hours and nothing much happen. You can see Imma lounging in her living room, scrolling on her phone, or watch her going through her stuff in her bedroom. But that’s about it.