Creative Objective: For one day there will be an equal number of male and female statues in New York City. Together we can make a profound statement about the place of women in history. And get people talking about “The Handmaid’s Tale” Season 3. This was achieved by creating a global moment. My role was to work with the stakeholders and my design team to determine concept, the location, experience, and flow + format of the installation in NYC, Boston, Atlanta, and San Francisco. I was involved with determining the materials the shape and structure and message. of the experience. I leveraged my background in sculptural installation and the art to create a museum event in the center of 4 metropolitan cities, 3 of them all on the same day.
Case Study
Hulu & CNN’s Courageous #WakeUp New York City to #ShapeHistory with Female-Forward Art Installation that Creates Statue Parity. … Located in New York City’s Flatiron Plaza, Hulu and Courageous will present “The Shape of History”, an interactive art installation aligning with season three of Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale.
As Season 3 of Hulu’s hit show “The Handmaid’s Tale” approached, the platform wanted a campaign that would deliver increased viewership and subscriptions. One of the show’s key themes is ‘History is written by those with power,’ and we found that fewer than 8% of all statues in the U.S. are of women. In NYC, one of the most progressive cities in the world, that number fell to 3%. The resulting branded activation was dubbed “The Shape of History” and emphasized that history is shaped by those who tell it. On June 7th, 2019, we erected 140 new female statues in NYC – the number needed to equal the existing 145 statues of men. The statues were made of mirror, inviting everyone to take part in shaping history with Hulu. Following the success of the activation in NYC, on August 26th, 2019—Women’s Equality Day and the 99th anniversary of women’s right to vote—we installed “missing” statues in Boston, Atlanta and San Francisco as well.
In sync with the event we designed a site to continue the narrative and story with facts and statistical data to help bring home the purpose and meaning of the entire campaign.
The campaign delivered over 6MM impressions and 2MM :10s views on social. Posts drove strong user generated content using #shapehistory and #shapethefuture approach the installation from any direction.
I worked on creating a central view point that allowed the audience to experience their reflection throughout the entire grouping of the statues.
Additionally, the double-sided nature will aid in creating the intended impact and make statues that can appear “invisible,” but when approached give every woman the ability to see themselves in the statue and even create the illusion of an infinite number of women.
NUMBER OF STATUES: There will be a total of 140 statues with two statues per base. This will allow for maximum visual impact while creating enough space for visitors to interact with and move between the statues. This base approach will also be beneficial in getting the city’s approval. BRANDING: Onsite branding will include a placard at the base of each statue. That messaging will be supported and amplified by the presence of brand ambassadors.
ACTION: NEW YORK CITY GETS ITS FIRST STATUE HONORING WOMEN
Hulu “Shape of History” campaign was a GOLD WINNER in the Best Outdoor Environment category of Event Marketer’s prestigious Ex Awards. Our visually arresting art installation in NYC’s Flatiron Plaza highlighted gender inequality while driving awareness and tune-in for Season 3 of “The Handmaid’s Tale.” Creative, effective, culturally relevant, personally meaningful. Congrats to the entire team at Courageous Studios, #CNN ad sales and content partnerships. #experientialmarketing will come back one day!
