The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA) officially kicks off its first major ad campaign in 20 years. Called “Made You Look,” the campaign was developed in partnership with the Chicago office of FCB, and is a fully integrated effort – spanning digital, social, print and OOH – that reintroduces the museum to new and returning visitors following a major building redesign.
The launch is in conjunction with the MCA’s first-ever pop-up experience dedicated to the life and work of groundbreaking artist Howardena Pindell, whose retrospective is currently on view at the museum. The pop-up experience takes as its theme the year 1979, which was a pivotal time in Pindell’s life and work. (It was also the year she was involved in a life-threatening car accident, and the beginning of a prolific, five-decade-long career.) Inside the pop-up, called “1979: The Year That Changed Everything,” visitors will experience a time warp featuring the music, art, fashion and overall feeling of the year 1979 – with an undercurrent of Howardena’s work, life and philosophy running through it. It’s a pretty awesome experience, complete with custom, Howardena-inspired T-shirts, augmented reality (1979 style!), Polaroids (yes, we’ll be taking pics and people get to keep theirs!), comics and magazines from the ‘70s, Instagram candy/wall art and also ‘70s music! (See here for a sneak peek of our playlist – “Ring My Bell,” “Hot Stuff,” “Born to Be Alive,” and more!)
The “1979: The Year That Changed Everything” pop-up will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 7, and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, April 8 at 1330 N. Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago.