A brand icon shaped over three millennia.
Photo Credit: Eric Sucar, Scott Spitzer, & Penn Museum
culture is closer than you think
It’s not every day you’re tasked with making a 13-ton sphinx the centerpiece of a museum’s grand reopening.
Our journey began with the iconic Ramses II sphinx being relocated to its newly renovated lobby in the Penn Museum. To ignite excitement around this historic move, we partnered with the museum for the #MoveTheSphinx challenge, engaging the public in a dynamic way. We set up a 500-pound replica at Dilworth Park, inviting people to test their strength and help build buzz. This interactive activation garnered significant local media coverage and social media engagement, heightening anticipation for the sphinx’s unveiling.
From Center City to Ancient Mexico: 13 minutes
Once the Sphinx was expertly installed, we developed innovative concepts to highlight the new experiences at the Penn Museum. The core concept was built around the idea that the museum could transport you to ancient worlds—all via a short train, bus, or car ride. Our creative content, combined with a memorable tagline and logo lock-up, effectively raised awareness, stirred emotions, and clarified misconceptions. Our work included an integrated campaign featuring tagline development, custom photography, illustration, digital and traditional out-of-home advertising, radio, social media, and on-site signage. In conjunction with the museum’s partnership with our local CBS affiliate station, we produced a 30-second TV spot to increase regional awareness of the museum. We also designed and had fabricated a Sphinx-themed mascot to represent the museum both on-site and off-site! The campaign not only achieved but surpassed its goals, proving that “Culture is closer than you think.”
“A Beautiful Thing Is Never Perfect.”