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Under Armour + HUSH Deliver a Unique Pop Up Experience

Hush Studios developed this immersive experience for a pop up store in Shanghai. It begins with a long tunnel of light that preps the viewer for the experience to come . . . a 270 degree panoramic film that engulfs you in the "brand" experience, demonstrating Under Armour's role in a pro athletes life. "I Will" is the brand's "Just Do It", but it's the film that brings this slogan to life. When you walk out of the experience into the pop up store, you're pumped to shop! 

I believe these kinds of sensory experiences which deliver beyond the confines of a simple video, immerse one in the brand, bringing it to life. Cultural institutions have other communicative goals, by immersion is a common thread. Imagine an exhibit like the Brooklyn Muesum's War/ Photography: Images of Armed Conflict and its Aftermath, in a 270 degree experience comprised of photos, music and voice overs from soldiers, family members and victims. The exhibit is quite moving & impactful as is, I can only image the effects of this same content just presented in this other way, maybe as the last thing you see before exiting, the culmination of everything you've just seen,  leaving you with visceral feelings you won' soon forget. 

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The guys at Bot & Dolly have created something that is just shy of magical. See how far image mapping and 3D projection has come. Not cheap, but definitely cool. Something institutions looking to deliver truly unique experiences can get inspiration from. 

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Simon Sinek - Start With Why

www.MajorLeagueBusiness.com

An old favorite book of mine, "The Power of Why", here author Simon Sinek explains the idea of the golden circle, which is at the heart of ideas around what drives our thinking process. A powerful insight I encourage all of you to check out! 

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App for tablets: Touch Van Gogh - What paintings can reveal

The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam is doing something unique, they've created an app that lets users deconstruct some of the master's greatest works. The idea for the app started with a simple question, how can you share with museum goers Van Gogh's inspiration, his real life subject matter, or even how he went about creating these pieces? And, how do you do this in a way that stimulates the viewer, challenging them to study the work up close?  

What I love about this app, is that it doesn't take away from the physical experience of the work itself. Many times, in an effort to engage audiences apps, videos and other content are created. Unfortunately, these engagement tools sometime compete with the work itself. And many times for younger viewers, they overpower the work. With the Van Gogh app, I feel convinced that they've figured out a simple way to revolve all the additional content around the physical piece itself. By highlighting the real location, technique or what might have been on the canvas before it's current  incarnation, the app draws viewers to examine what's physically before them more closely, and with a critical eye. For younger and more diverse audiences, it helps explain process, an often complicated path for non artists to comprehend. And I would argue a potential source of inspiration for all those aspiring artists. 

I really believe that apps which help us better understand the physical object we are seeing before us, truly help us build a better appreciation for art as a whole. I hope this is only the beginning! 

[thefraynyc]

Europe's Cultural Institutions are Looking to US Aquariums for Answers

In these times of global recession (or more accurately stated "post" recession), institutions that relied primarily on government funding are finding their sources of revenue drying up. Curiously enough they are turning to US non profit models for guidance, and primarily those practices of US aquariums. The reasons why may surprise you as Colleen Dilenschneider breaks down in her blog "Know Your Own Bones".

I believe the bigger issue her blog raises is that of sustainability for institutions that don't pay attention to market demand. We continue to see institutions, primarily museums, push academic, or even ego driven passion projects that preclude large portions of their community. The irony is that many of these institutions seem to interpret their mission as educators, as educating the already well educated.  Which is fine in some areas, but I would argue not when it comes at the expense of serving a general public, with public funds. 

Market demand should be used as a tool to help guide cultural institutions and not it's sole driver. There is a way to balance what the public says it wants, with what experts feel they need. But this crusade against "dumbing down" one's content, the excuse most readily given by institutions for not meeting market demand, is quickly becoming outdated and frankly dangerous to the health of these institutions. To me the idea of dumbing down is really just laziness and lack of imagination on the part of institution administrators. Today there are many intelligent, progressive and interactive ways to bring one's content to life. But as Colleen points out, it's about revisiting your priorities and how an institution decides to spend their limited resources, making the decision to modernize and invest in certain areas while phasing out others.

We are seeing examples of success everyday, and I highlight those those here on this blog. But the truth is most institutions are rooted in past, stuck in an archaic thought process that lacks vision and most importantly guts. For organizations that we perceive to champion creativity and ingenuity, how are so many so far behind? And they wonder why the youth of today doesn't come. It's simple . . . relevancy stupid, what else? 

[thefraynyc]

The Casualties of The Digital Revolution

Yes, I know you’re thinking, what casualties could there possibly be in the virtual world? Well my friends, that’s just it … your friends as the digital revolution continues to  take its toll on our real life communities. Many of us, not just millennials, have been swept up in our culture of constant connectivity which ironically has effected our ability to connect. Human interaction of the physical kind, where people come together outside of the digital space, has suffered. Today we find it easier to send a text than make a call, we rely on Facebook to keep tabs on our friends and we prefer virtual communities to those of flesh and blood. Is it laziness, or just the opposite, that we're just too damn busy! I wish I knew for sure, but I would guess it's a little bit of both. 

In this article from our friends at Fast Company, a millennial explores his perspective on plugging in and out our digital world. He's conflicted, and  I would argue so are all of us. Companies, and not just individuals are also trying to address this phenomenon with their efforts to push for more spontaneous interactions, the kind that promote creativity and collaboration. Some are accomplishing this through open floor plans, or others, like in case of Zappos, are designing whole buildings in such a way that entrances and exits require people to literally run into each other. Crazy efforts to promote something that used to come so natural. 

It's because of this, that I believe strongly in creating initiatives that foster both a digital and physical experience where one both feeds and fuels the other. This is after-all how we exist, we create and live in our physical and digital worlds. I personally have seen some of the most successful executions whether in the marketing, or cultural spaces result from this perfect union where initiatives that start in the physical world are then amplified in the digital one, or vice versa. I believe this is the way to foster stronger communities of both the physical and digital kind. These experiences create a lasting impact by actively involving audiences on multiple levels. Smirnoff did this with their Night Life Exchange, where a city's nightlife was crowd sourced online and then shipped to a sister city for a real life party. The Cleveland Museum has done this with Gallery One, where the digital space is used to enhance and enrich the physical museum experience.  

This is a unique time in our history, a time to choose how we want to be and how we want to live. I don't think for a second people will ever stop interacting with one another physically, that's counter to how we're wired. But I do believe we can help add dimension to our sterile binary world through its marriage to a warm and imperfect physical one. This union will benefit us all, as we explore how to truly exist with our head and hearts in both worlds. 

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One of two articles I’ve read recently on the lost art of spontaneous interaction, communities and the collaborative effect that comes with it. More to come on this subject, but in the meantime check out this article..

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Channel 13 Taps Into Our "Dark"Side

Yes, I know most would call shows like Bad Bad Bag Boys or Married to a Mime, "gulity pleasures", but the NY based, PBS station, Channel 13 makes a more nuanced case. It's my opinion they speak to the ever growing epidemic of  terrible television that has accompanied the proliferation of paid TV (cable, satellite, internet). And for those of us who are familiar with this space, we can relate. It seems like every other day paid TV spawns some new show, or even more surprising, some entirely new channel. To me it feels like we have a ton of redundancies; Food TV vs The Cooking Channel, Nat Geo vs. Discovery, Animal Planet or Smithsonian Channel, and the list goes on. The irony is, that as paid TV gets more and more segmented the shows get more and more similar. 

I understand this clever campaign is in part about shaming us into opting for more substantive programming, but I think there is a larger question here.  With the overload of content out there, I believe Channel 13 is challenging us to think about how we spend our free time. I think this philosophical question is one that we should be asking ourselves. For how we spend our free time can define us, not only as individuals, but as a society. In an age where there is more information available to us than at any other time in human history, it begs the question what should we be paying attention to, and what should be ignored?

I know that in the war for our attention, many substantive institutions like Channel 13, museums, galleries, zoos, libraries, botanical gardens, etc are all competing with the less substantive stuff that's out there. And they're asking us, as we should ask ourselves, what are our values, what do we deem important enough to warrant our time, focus and attentions?

It is the million dollar question, and the main point of this very blog to figure out how to cut through the fray and bring a strong value proposition to audiences. And though I don't have that silver bullet answer, I do know that remaining sincere to your core purpose, mission or sense of being, is key. And though that may seem corny, it is true that people who are authentic not only appeal to those that perceive them as such, but they garner a stronger sense of loyalty too. And as we get inundated with fakers trying to be something their not, and the players who are just wasting our time, we will gravitate towards those sincere voices. Voices that speak to our values.  After all, most of us are willing to follow, as long as you lead with a purpose.

[thefraynyc]

TRENDS TO WATCH: MUSIC IN MUSEUMS

With a recent slew of institutions saying yes to music as the message for expression, it begs the question why now, and why all of a sudden? I guess like most trends, these things happen in clusters. With exhibitions at the New Museum, Whitney, and Met we are seeing different interpretations of how music has influenced thought and expression. In the clip here from "The Street", by New York's own (by way of Britain), James Nares, the music is the catalyst for emotional expression. It sets the backdrop and context for this unique 1 hour piece that shows New Yorkers suspended in a moment. It's a fascinating, dreamlike look at a city he's known since 1974. The music is the centerpiece of not only "The Street", but this exhibit as a whole, which includes works from the Met's permanent collection. 

I think it is safe to say that music and audio in general, have been a compelling form of communication since the early days of Radio  (remember those?). Radio is unique in that it entices us to bring our imagination to every sound we hear in order to create the story.  And with that imagination comes an experience that's personal, where the audience automatically becomes an active participant.

I recently read an article about museum based radio stations, and how these are being under utilized. I would argue that audio, as an art form, is being under utilized. Cultural institutions, seduced by the flash of video, tend to ignore it’s imaginative and impactful cousin that is a fraction of the  cost to produce. Outside of the audio tour, audio experiences are very limited in most cultural institutions, which begs the question why? 

Maybe it's a lack of innovative thinking, or the stigma that audio only experiences are seen by some as relics of the past. But these lastest moves by the Met, Whitney, and New Museum suggest audio is and can be a powerful tool to create unique experiences.  I feel there are many more applications for audio within a museum's permanent collection. Maybe providing sounds tracks for galleries, or engaging viewers to choose, from a series of tracks, the one that best evokes a sentiment that's in harmony with the piece they are experiencing.  My intent here is not to make exhibits more fun, (though I feel that wouldn't be such a bad alternative), my intent is to make the experience richer, to stimulate a viewer's senses, allowing them another dimension that enhances the work beyond just what they see. An exercise that might have some ironic consequences, like bringing back active imagination into the passive viewing process.

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Well, maybe not vampires per se . . .but the marketing efforts around them. TrueBlood is more than a TV show, to it's fans it's become somewhat of a cult following. And what's really compelling is how after several seasons HBO has worked to keep the interest alive for die hard fans, all the while pushing to broaden TrueBlood's appeal to new fans. 

Their latest effort is explained in great detail via our friends at Yoke, an Australian based digital design firm. In their blog (see the linked article) they breakdown how HBO has used digital and traditional advertising, mixed in with their transmedia practices, to build a winning environment for fans and non fans alike. Where I see synergy for cultural institutions is in the marrying of their digital and traditional advertising efforts in order to tell a compelling narrative, as apposed to a traditional "announcement" for  their latest exhibit or event. 

What Yoke highlights is how TrueBlood developed the narrative that Vampires are Real. Their first step to set this narrative in motion was to generate intrigue. An effort not easily realized, but the folks at TrueBlood are clever and used their digital efforts, via popular bloggers in the horror film space and a microsite they built, to drive this narrative. The peeked interest communicated via those bloggers and  the microsite, lead to a traditional print/poster campaign that reinforced the story that vampires are real. It was only after all of these efforts, that HBO revealed this was a campaign to promote the latest season of TrueBlood.

Now, I know cultural institutions don't have the marketing dollars that HBO has, but they do spend money on websites and traditional print/poster campaigns. My point is do what you're doing, but do it differently. Use your upcoming Egyptian exhibit to tell that rumored story of an ancient curse, or promote your Van Gogh and Gauguin exhibit by creating a print campaign that invites "fellow artists" to join their artists commune in Arle. In other words, create a narrative that is intriguing, and then use your digital presence (via a web page, microsite, or social media) to help build that narrative. Then follow that with your print/poster campaign to drive that narrative. These efforts will peek people's interests, and frame your exhibition in a context that is more experience than information.  A context that is more true to what your exhibit really  is.

[thefraynyc]

The New Museum & NYC Pay Phones are Recalling 1993

It's 1993 at the New Museum, a time that was a critical turning point for the New York art scene and the city itself.

 "Centering on 1993, the exhibition is conceived as a time capsule, an experiment in collective memory that attempts to capture a specific moment at the intersection of art, pop culture, and politics. The social and economic landscape of the early ’90s was a cultural turning point both nationally and globally." - The New Museum

With the help of those experiential marketing gurus at Droga5, The New Museum has put one of NYC's few remaining relics of the 1990's to work. Now, across the city, 5000 public pay phones deliver neighborhood specific commentary of what life was like back in 1993. If the voices are familiar they should be, as they are the ones who knew it best; Robin Byrd, Brian Lehre, Michael Musto, Mario Batali, Doug E. Doug, Chazz Palminteri and others. 

This initiative created from The New Museum's partnership with Droga5, highlights how through the past we can speak to the present. It is extremely clever in its's simplicity, and impactful in its use of an iconic piece of NY history. Experiences like this, showcase how museums can best utilize the public sphere making their unique content relevant to the masses. Hats off to them in their efforts.

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“If I get up every day with the optimism that I have the capacity for growth, then that’s success for me.” (Legendary graphic designer Paula Scher on why creativity works like a slot machine)

http://bookpickings.brainpickings.org/post/39743047404/how-to-think-like-a-great-graphic-designer-debbie

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MOOC The Next Best Thing for Cultural Institutions?

First off what is MOOC? Well,  that's easy enough: Massive Open Online Courses. But this is something we've heard about for a while now right? Well no . . . not exactly. The MOOC is more philosophical approach than  same ole, same ole. With MOOC, the idea is positioning online courses that are open to the public, free and have mass appeal. Why do this? Well, that was my question, but upon digging deeper I came to understand the thinking behind it. 

A MOOC can be a great tool that already encompasses what many CI's (cultural institutions) are already doing; offering unaccredited, attendance optional, educational courses for the general public. What MOOC does differently is also allow a large number of people to familiarize themselves with your institution. It becomes a means of outreach, PR, education and a service to those you wouldn't normally service. Think about it, you can offer courses in areas that encompass your brand, and showcase your specific expertise in those areas, all in a way that increases your brand's awareness, and reaches a segment of the population that before was elusive. Here an institution can help build their reputation, credibility and national/international exposure all the while doing something they have been doing all along, offering courses in what they know best. 

Now, the downside are the man hours and work that goes into any online course. And though this may be a hurdle for some, there are many CI's that have already gone down this road, they have full online courses, or ones that are a bit older. If this describes your institution, this might be an opportunity to try your first MOOC. I really like the idea of CI's using MOOCs to further their own missions as cultural and education centers. These courses help CI's maintain that mantel, which frankly is a field that is getting over run with other less accredited competitors.  As an idea, CI's can provide intro courses to the masses with the more specialized areas reserved for only the more serious, paying students. But in this example, at least CI's can address one of their primary roles, that of influencer, those gatekeepers who expose the masses to our cultural heart. 

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SXSW Low Down: Leo Burnett Gets Down to Work

So this latest series of videos by Ad Legends Leo Burnett, showcases the trend of talking about trends, and in the process shares another emerging trend; that of agencies and other companies re defining what they "do". In this example, agencies are redefining themselves as not just promoters of products, but rather stewards of trends. In doing so they move into a space once occupied solely by independent bloggers, techsperts and visionary types.  

In this series, Leo Burnett shows us what we should be thinking and talking about this year with their focus on the players and products of the 2013 SXSW festival. Here Jon bigs of Tech Crunch talks about the latest move to create new hardware. Check out the whole series here:

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_H_-MLJ5RYHIkbouV-ZMmx_xPJDEY4Aa

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It’s that time of year again, which means the latest trends in the interactive world have just been “realized” with the completion of 2013’s interactive festival at South by Southwest. The trends are familiar ones we’ve been hearing about for several months now, like the popularity of 3D printing, and the Minority Reporting of interfaces so that you can navigate your tech with only your gestures. But it also has seen the continuous build of some of last year’s trends like the shared economy, crowdsourcing and the tinker society where everyone is encouraged to build, create and contribute.

SXSW is always an exciting time. More to common this front!

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  I think many of us believe that Museums Suck! Though most of us wouldn't be as harsh, this student critic of the LA Youth newspaper is saying something many of us are in fact thinking. Why do museums, our cultural heart, have to be soooo boring?! And though some would brush this off as the opinions of  a philistine, this perspective is crucial as museums and other cultural institutions search for young audiences and a means to be "relevant" in today's wasteland of never ending content. 

I think there is a way . . . and as our student journalist points out, museums can do a better job, in fact they must. With median ages for most cultural institutions hitting middle age (or as he describes museums . ..  "old people, boring art, lots of benches because old people need to sit a lot"), it is more important than ever to refocus our attentions, redefine the museum mold, and appeal to the future of these institutions. 

Some may think that competing with what's out there is about one-up man's ship, rather it's understanding what your content strengths are, and playing into those. Our friend supports this theory when he retells the only semi-positive experience of his whole outing, the Skirball Cultural Center. Here, interactive exhibits and a compelling story had his interests piqued . . . at least for a little bit.

This is an insight, taken straight from the source, that we all can learn from. I would argue it was the packaging of this content that first grabbed his attention, allowing the opportunity for the content to reach it's audience. For many of us, this may be the silver lining we are looking for, a means, method or approach that captures the attentions letting the content capture the imagination.

[thefraynyc]

In this post by the Center for the Future of Museums, a blog I particularly enjoy, you’ll find a poignant question being asked. It’s answer is a bit less conventional which is exactly what the museum space needs now. Economic hardship, lack of resources and changing viewer habits have all lead to the triage that many cultural institutions now face. A hard look at the type of people and those skills they bring is an important step to modernizing the museum experience.