The thing about furniture is that
people rarely associate it with, for the lack of a better phrase, the “sense of
self.” I say “sense of self” in a pretty broad manner here – the way “I’m a Mac”
kind of defines a person by his or her choice of device. Isn’t that strange?
Your Coke Zero defines you. Your Canon camera defines you. Your Android phone
defines you. But the couch that you use? No, no, no –that doesn’t define you,
that kind of just “is.”
If you
think about it, that’s really weird. How many times do you drink soda per day?
(Rhetorical question, by the way.) By contrast, how much do you use your couch?
‘Betcha you use the couch more. ‘Thing
is, activities at home—sitting on the couch or lying on the bed at the end of a
long day—are so mundane that we’d rather not devote neurons to furniture
choices.
If this sounds really strange, that’s
because it is. I think it’s a dreams, hopes, and aspirations thing - it’s
easier to think of shoes or jeans as integral to who you are and how you
present yourself, so Adidas feels
attached to athleticism, or Levi’s to quality. By contrast, the landline phone,
the dining table, and the bed mattress feel detached to most people, so brands
and quality associations are tougher to make.
But, see, here’s the thing. I think
furniture deserves a spot at the heart of dreams, hopes, and aspirations. I
think media and furniture companies like Mandaue Foam are changing that, too.
Now we can showcase our personality through customized furniture but not
compromise our budget for things which are equally important to us.
When we were younger, there was a
popular show called F.R.I.E.N.D.S, and one of the things that always stayed
with me was the interplay between Joey and Chandler. There was a scene where
they were looking at twin recliners. The first time they sat on their seats
produced “oh yeahs!” One of them asked whether they dared, and then they
reclined the seats - and the sheer joy of their “that’s the stuff” would launch
a life-altering hunger for recliners for a lot of people.
By “a lot of people,” I mean Jeff—my
travel buddy, my HTML editor, my life partner, our home’s geek extraordinaire. Ever
since we got together, he’s been talking about one day getting a recliner. I
kid you not, watching a movie on a recliner is on his “33 Things To Do Before
33” list. That hope, dream, and aspiration was only intensified when we saw the
Mandaue Foam recliner on display outside the cinema when we watched The Bourne
Legacy (courtesy of Nuffnang Philippines and Mandaue Foam).
At its best, this is what furniture
is designed to provide. A joy with wild abandon that goes so much deeper than comfort
or utility. I can just picture Jeff, who is sort of a gamer, using this thing.
He’d never want to leave!
As for me, the recliner would make nearly
everything I do more enjoyable. Reading on that thing would definitely give me
the “flow” (i.e. lose track of time and be in the zone). Watching “America’s
Next Top Model” on that thing - too good for words. Household planning? That’d be the perfect HQ.
When the joy of an aspiration meets
the practical execution of a brand, our dreams are realized. Jeff and I have
found the perfect recliner - now it’s just a matter of whether or not our dream
will take flight. That’s where Mandaue Foam comes in.
Check out Mandaue Foam's collection by clicking the image below:
Labels: F.R.I.E.N.D.S., Mandaue Foam, PS3 cake, Recliner
