20:08, Monday 21 Jun., 2004 Link

Got to say, a cracking article on the story of Ikea in the Guardian last week. The construction caught my eye. Over the first couple of columns, there are a number of references building the Ikea-as-religion/cult metaphor. It's a fair one to pull, and easy too. Kamprad published The Testament of a Furniture Dealer in 1976, setting out his new company's sacred concept, and the quotes from it are indeed remarkably evangelical. This anecdote opens a chapter of the article (which is about ten inches), and foreshadows the creepy workplace, creepy people, and the pop-fact that there are more copies of the Ikea catalogue produced every year than the Bible. Okay, end of section and a move to history, which should be a complete change of pace. But the next section opens with a wonderful line: Like at least one other major world religion, Ikea began in a shed. It's completely unexpected because the Ikea-as-religion metaphor has already been set up (having been established, it's never openly referred to again after this line, although it lingers in every mention of ethics or ritual that follows), and knits the article together in just the right way. Great touch.