Photographed by Lauren Perlstein. Mirrors may be essential objects in everyday life, but they don't always help with our self-esteem. There are times when we dread the reality check — who wants to be reminded of how disheveled they look with a flu? But, one retailer believes mirrors can be used to create an uplifting shopping experience.
An IKEA outpost in London has created a "motivational mirror" that compliments customers on everything from their smile to their physique to their outfits.
Using built-in Kinect sensors, the product issues effusive praise to passersby with an audio and text display. One lucky guy in the promotional film even got a wert whirl whistle, and was totally game for it.
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If this seems like a silly marketing stunt to you, think again: Research from the mega-chain revealed that one third of Brits think they look their worst early in the morning. With this cool contraption, IKEA hopes to encourage a more positive body image among visitors — improving their days in the process. And, if there's one thing a brand wants, it's definitely more cheerful and content-looking people in its stores.
From what we could gather from the video, the tactic seems to be working. Click on to see the delighted reactions for yourselves. We're keeping tabs on who invents a life advice-dispensing mirror next.