That, I believe, is one of the main goals of a company. As for buying into prepackaged hipness, you don't have to buy anything you don't want. Last I heard, we still have free will. People have always done this. Old Navy and Ikea are but tribalism on a commercial scale.
Creativity is a basic human drive, but it is also one that demands much of the soul.
Most people are essentially lazy, and if they can satisfy their creative urge through easy fixes at Ikea, let them. But he also underestimates the average consumer's awareness of this coverup. My point is, while these chains prey on our consumerist desires, they also fulfill them better than anything else out there right now. Trust me, if there was a better alternative available, most of us would take advantage of it. Experience the 2002 Mercury Mountaineer.