Instagram is currently quite popular as a social sharing tool, but it wasn’t until now that it saw use as a shopping site.  Ikea’s Russian division was looking for ways to push its (somewhat odd) PS 2014 collection (unless you don’t think exploding lamps are odd), and found an unlikely winner in Instagram.  After hiring an ad agency and going to work turning Instagram into a virtual storefront, a whole new way to employ the image site was born.  

Using your smartphone, you can go to the account ikea_ps_2014 where a “website” within the app will open.  The account acts similar to an interactive catalog, where you will see 12 different images, divided into categories such as Benches, Tables, Storage, Light, Textiles, and Ideas.  Digging deeper into the site by clicking on an image brings up a variety of tags that are linked to different pages with more detail on the individual products.  As an example, if you click on “tables”, you can have the option of seeing more detail on ps_side_table or ps_laptop_station.  Even though the site’s arrangement resembles an interactive catalog.  Ikea’s innovative use of Instagram as a free advertising medium should stand out, and hopefully kickstart a new wave of social media breakthroughs.  

For more information, check out The Verge.