What is Natural?

Two different exhibitions at The National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, DC. needed to be promoted through a single advertising campaign. With no celebrity artist to pull visitors, we drew on a common theme from both exhibitions to engage the "art buff" target: What is Natural?

Eschewing conventional art exhibition advertising (which usually features a "representative" artwork from the show) we asserted that the exhibition was about an idea rather than any particular artwork. This required prioritizing the question over the art. It seems that artists acknowledged this intent and all artists gave permission to use their works in this way without edits. The outdoor campaign got particular attention in the context of a generally staid DC museum advertising landscape, drawing significant attendance despite a very modest media buy. Survey data also showed the advertising as a key factor driving attendance.