HBO: WOMEN'S MONTH POP-UP
BUILDING BRAND AFFINITY + STORYTELLING IN A POP-UP ART GALLERY
BRAND ACTIVATION | CONSUMER EXPERIENCE | ART INSTALLATION
Known for award-winning original programming like The Sopranos, Girls and Game of Thrones, HBO is the longest-running subscription TV service in the country. What’s more, HBO has a history of showcasing women’s stories that at times have been under-represented in media.
We partnered with Wieden + Kennedy to create HBO’s celebration of Women’s Month: The Inspiration Room. The week-long pop-up gallery in New York’s NoHo neighborhood featured interactive and multi-media art installations design by our studio to showcase women’s stories—including HBO talent—collected from many generations and from across the world.
Oversized pages of journal entries were displayed for guest perusal as one of the most popular installations in the space.
A view across the galley and the collection of various art installations in the space showcasing women’s stories, including HBO talent.
HOW DO YOU CREATE AN AUTHENTIC, HUMAN EXPERIENCE WHILE STILL SHOWCASING A GLOBAL BRAND?
From the first location scouting meeting, it was clear that all parties involved had a vision to create an experience that would create a lasting impact on everyone who visited. The Inspiration Room would be the first of its kind and was to be as much a hub for live sharing and connection, as it was a place to read, view and hear stories from women living and dead.
Taking on the lofty challenge, we set out to design a temporary gallery that would pique the senses and encourage interaction, via meandering paths through large-scale installations, multimedia artwork, and intimate reading nooks. From video screens with hidden messages, a giant-sized journal, and a private sound cone, to a set of printers inking a live feed of stories being shared on location, more than a dozen exhibits dotted the gallery.
We were also commissioned to design a separate tea bar, where visitors could sit and read hundred-year-old journals, converse with others, and record their own thoughts and feelings in blank journals on-hand.
Neon and written word from a cast member of HBO’s Succession were displayed in large-scale adjacent to a bookshelf with a collection of current and historic diaries and journals available
By designing, over-seeing production and managing execution all facets of the space, from the installations to the printed collateral, we were able to orchestrate a cohesive and thought-provoking experience that shared both raw and joyful stories, while tastefully connecting back to HBO, and its tradition of storytelling.
The Inspiration Room was active for one week, drawing hundreds of visitors, some who traveled across the country to see the exhibits, and participate in panels, discussions and quiet reflection in the gallery. The activation was featured in a variety of media, including Adweek.
PRESENTING STORYTELLING IN UNEXPECTED WAYS CHALLENGES US TO INTERNALIZE IT, RATHER THAN FILTER IT OUT.
A collection of mounted printers produced a live-feed of stories being shared and submitted by guests and others across the globe.
A detail of the printer installation that inked hundreds of stories over the course of the week.
A view through a fabric tunnel installation across to one of the quiet reading corners throughout the space.
AT-A-GLANCE
CLIENT: HBO
TYPE: Brand Activation + Experiential Pop-up
LOCATION: NoHo, New York City
ACTUALIZATION: Week-long pop-up art gallery space.
PARTNERS:
Wieden+Kennedy / M Crown Productions / Tea Bar
OUR ROLE:
Consumer Experience + Journey
Zoning + Merchandising
Graphic Design
Brand Activations + Pop-ups
Space Design + Concepts
Brand Moments + Art Installations
Materials Palettes + Design Direction
Floor Plans + Elevations
Conceptual Sketches + 3D Renderings
Custom FF+E Design
Production Management
Installation Oversight
Collections of stories we framed, mounted and placed under glass for protection and easy reading.
The entry to the Inspiration Room pop-up gallery in New York’s NoHo neighborhood.
PROJECT GALLERY
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