--- title: IKEA Motivational Mirror Ad: Talking Mirror Gives Compliment description: Stick to the Swedish meatballs? canonical: https://time.com/3481899/ikea-made-a-talking-mirror-that-basically-just-tells-you-youre-pretty-all-day/ author: Laura Stampler article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-10-08T18:02:38.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T04:48:23.414Z og:title: IKEA Made a Talking Mirror That Basically Just Tells You You're Pretty All Day og:description: Stick to the Swedish meatballs? og:url: https://time.com/3481899/ikea-made-a-talking-mirror-that-basically-just-tells-you-youre-pretty-all-day/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: IKEA Made a Talking Mirror That Basically Just Tells You You're Pretty All Day twitter:description: Stick to the Swedish meatballs? twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # IKEA Made A Talking Mirror That Basically Just Tells You You're Pretty All Day > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=10f64780-2ade-49f3-b5e5-4285f9ecc74c&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Daily | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Tuesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Monday to Saturday (3x per week) | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=10f64780-2ade-49f3-b5e5-4285f9ecc74c&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=10f64780-2ade-49f3-b5e5-4285f9ecc74c&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (daily health), Worth Your Time (culture, twice weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, three times a week), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. by [Laura Stampler](https://time.com/author/laura-stampler/) ## Laura Stampler Oct 8, 2014 6:02 PM UTC by [Laura Stampler](https://time.com/author/laura-stampler/) ## Laura Stampler Oct 8, 2014 6:02 PM UTC Meet IKEA’s [“Motivational Mirror”](http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/about%5Fikea/newsitem/motivational%5Fmirror) — a wall accessory whose only job is to deliver effusive, 100% genuine compliments like “Magnificent beard!” and “Your eyes are mesmerizing!” and “Darling, your dress looks amazing!” (Even though it kind of looks like a shirt… but it’s the thought that counts.)  IKEA The Swedish furniture retailer put the promotional mirror in a British store last week, “bestowing personalised compliments to provide the nation with a much needed morale boost,” according to a [statement](http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/about%5Fikea/newsitem/motivational%5Fmirror). IKEA-commissioned research found 44% of people in the UK are critical of their appearance and 26% say they feel uncomfortable looking in a mirror. _BUT_ 26% also said that “a kind word” makes them like themselves more. And thus, a [Dove-esque](http://www.businessinsider.com/how-doves-real-beauty-sketches-became-the-most-viral-ad-video-of-all-time-2013-5) empowerment stunt was born. Except, instead of having consumers come to the conclusion that they are really more beautiful than they think they are on their own, IKEA has a far more reliable source — a mirror programmed with audio — do it for them. This is actually a familiar trope. [Adweek](http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/ikea-gets-dove-mirror-tells-you-how-beautiful-you-are-160582) notes, “the inspirational talking mirror idea has been done before—most notably by the [all-female Austin band The Mrs.,](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuoBEJ9DkJM) but also [by other marketers.](http://vimeo.com/102627835)” Sure, compliments can be nice, but it is a tad on the creepy side — particularly when a man in a blue button down, showing _just_ enough chest hair, is stopped by the mirror … whistling at him.  IKEA (Yes, that is an animation of a cat calling wolf). It’s an odd choice to make unsolicited whistling — street harassment is a very real issue [women face on a daily basis](http://time.com/3144715/street-harassment-catcalling/)— look cutesy, but at least the customer doesn’t seem to mind. “It was great for me because I never get compliments,” the man recalls, wistfully. “I could have stood there all day, to be honest.” Still, maybe IKEA should stick to its specialty: flat-pack furniture, ball pits and Swedish meatballs. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3481899/ikea-made-a-talking-mirror-that-basically-just-tells-you-youre-pretty-all-day/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3481899/ikea-made-a-talking-mirror-that-basically-just-tells-you-youre-pretty-all-day/"},"headline":"IKEA Made A Talking Mirror That Basically Just Tells You You're Pretty All Day","datePublished":"2014-10-08T18:02:38.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:48:23.414Z","description":"Stick to the Swedish meatballs?","url":"https://time.com/3481899/ikea-made-a-talking-mirror-that-basically-just-tells-you-youre-pretty-all-day/","keywords":["Newsfeed","Living","society","viral","Body Image","Opinion topic","Advertisement"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Laura Stampler","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/laura-stampler/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-newsfeed/","name":"Newsfeed"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3481899/ikea-made-a-talking-mirror-that-basically-just-tells-you-youre-pretty-all-day/","name":"IKEA Made A Talking Mirror That Basically Just Tells You You're Pretty All Day"}}]}] ```