CHALLENGE

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) wanted to broaden its audience by attracting younger visitors who are tattoo enthusiasts to the “Japanese Tattoo Perseverance, Art and Tradition” exhibition. The temporary and permanent goals: generate ticket sales and increase social media engagement.

THE MOVE

Japanese firefighters used to paint dragons on their backs and jackets for protection.  Today’s tattoo artists have gleaned inspiration from this tradition and applied it to their craft, which we captured in this campaign. We created a series of posters and a campaign that included a citywide Instagram scavenger hunt, bus wraps, shelters, print, mobile, digital display, nontraditional collateral and a customized content sponsorship with Tattoo Artist Magazine. We even got in on the fun by tatting our old building.