The Wild represents the diversity of the animal kingdom. The New is where technology and creativity collide. The Storyteller is about America, its people and the tales they can tell. The Discoverer explores the world and the universe. To pose the questions, the ads feature seven characters, each representing areas of Smithsonian expertise:
The website will continue and grow through the following year, helping to expand people’s perception of the breadth and depth of expertise at the Smithsonian and the endless opportunities for learning it provides.Īsking questions and finding the answers is at the heart of the Smithsonian, and so “Questions Alive,” as the campaign is called, is a natural fit. The campaign is part of Clough’s overall vision to make the organization a more relevant, accessible and inspiring resource. This campaign offers us an historic moment to directly show the American people that we are much more than they ever thought and that the Smithsonian is an open resource for them to discover and explore.” “And we’re not just about our collection items but also the incredible discoveries, stories and learning opportunities they provide us all. “The Smithsonian isn’t just about museums and research centers but also the crucially important work that goes on within them,” said Wayne Clough, Secretary of the Smithsonian. Together with the new website, the campaign’s goal is to broaden people’s understanding of what the Smithsonian is and does and also present it as an exciting resource for discovery and learning. It evokes both the Smithsonian’s important scholarship and the “wow moments” it delivers every day. The Smithsonian’s new tagline, “Seriously Amazing,” is the foundation of the ad campaign. To help people understand that it is a place of scientific discovery, cultural exploration and collaborative learning, the Smithsonian is embarking on a first―a national advertising campaign to show that while the Smithsonian is many things, it is also one thing: “Seriously Amazing.” But the Smithsonian is far more than objects on exhibit.
Most Americans know the Smithsonian―or at least they think they do―with its iconic objects, like the Hope Diamond and Dorothy’s ruby slippers, coming to mind. Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, African Art.