Modern art museums is kind of forgiving.
You know when you go to an art museum and start to realize that banana peel on the floor isn’t actually artwork, but just the act of some lazy patron? That’s the thing about modern art; it actually is interpretive. And you know what they say — beauty is in the eye of the beholder (thanks, mom).
But do people even go to art museums anymore? It really is that damn phone. I decided to create a campaign that not only brings back the OG art museum experience, but also makes people feel less intimidated by modern art period. And while art is personal, it’s also universally shared.
So, I convinced them that modern art knowledge is pretty dang impressive… even if they don’t know jack. All they have to say is… anything.
spec project
I polled a few of my close friends on why they would or wouldn’t visit a modern art museum.
How can we make modern art appealing to those who might be scared of it? For starters, we can make them believe that they can get away with anything. (Except the obvious, e.g. attempted heist.) We want the MoMA to be about sharing an experience without the risk of sounding stupid. Even if you know nothing about modern art, the idea is that you can Say Anything and appear deeper than bottomless mimosas to your long-distance BFF, wow your mother-in-law, or crush your work nemesis during the company field trip.
An ad campaign for the MoMA without roughs? Dalí, please.
Let’s just get people talking.
Sometimes, the real art is the conversation. That’s what my goal was here: to make the MoMA a place where contemporary art is approachable and fun, not a haus for art snobs and intimidators. Sure, the art itself is intimidating. When you Say Anything, it strips all museum conversations down to the most exquisite work of humankind: connection.
Because an interpretation is an opinion. If you’re anything like me, you know there’s plenty of those to go around. Art is what you make of it. So I hope you make something out of this spec work.
An ad campaign without OOH deliverables would never fly. Or take the subway.
Art isn’t just interpretive.
It’s interactive.
For the Say Anything Campaign, if we wanted to add an extra layer of comfortability in these modern art spaces, there had to be a continuous element that kept the desired audience comfortable. I didn’t want the “approachability” to disappear once they walked through the doors. I wanted them to feel it throughout the exhibits. That’s why I brought in the QR code aspect. Even solo museum-goers and art appreciators would be able to scan the code by each work and literally “Say Anything.” As an integrated part of the exhibit, people would still be able to connect and view the archive of what others interpreted, shared, or felt by each piece.
See below for the full in-browser experience for Say Anything.
