V&A Museum is hiding niche outdoor ads across the U.K. to show the breadth of its collection

Hyperniche, site-specific outdoor ads are always a delight.

A Google campaign in New York City a decade ago was a great example, with one-of-a-kind ads popping up everywhere from Katz’s Deli to Brooklyn Bowl. Now, a new U.K. campaign for the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) does something similar by hiding unique objects around the country, each of which carry a variation on the message, “If you’re into it, it’s in the V&A.”

The background here is that 75% of people in the U.K. have heard of the V&A, but only 33% are familiar with what it stands for—and only 19% of young people are. Agency adam&eveDDB set out to make the V&A more meaningful to people on a personal level. And with 2.8 million objects in the museum’s permanent collection, there’s something there for everyone.

For the artifacts portion of the campaign, the agency worked with dozens of skilled creators to produce a number of unique objects to appeal to different groups. The objects include:

• A century-old silver tankard engraved with a unique message has been buried in a popular Oxfordshire metal-detecting location.
• Limited-edition embroidered pocket squares are being given away at a specialist tailor.
• A handmade battle flag was displayed by an armored participant in a battle reenactment. 
• The clothing of TikTok influencer Shlottie’s avatar featured the campaign message as she played Grand Theft Auto live on Twitch.
• A bespoke knit created by skilled artisan Onyinye Achusiogu will be worn at The Stitch Festival.
• A London theater seat features a specially engraved plaque.
• A 120-year-old book that’s been painstakingly rebound was left on the shelves of a vintage bookshop.
• A bespoke 3D animation, to be played before a film in the cinema, pays homage to the classic style of production company pre-rolls and reminds moviegoers, “If you’re into cinema, it’s in the V&A.”

Check out some of the visuals here:

The campaign also includes Instagram films created with niche influencers such as @Wainwrightbookbinding @Me.Old.China and @hookednbusy, plus TikTok films.

Media for the campaign was planned and bought by PHD.

The objects are just part of the campaign. Separate out-of-home, digital and social media ads showcasing 70 objects from the V&A collection covering all sorts of interests to draw as many people’s attention as possible. Many of 

See some of those ads here:

There’s also a series of long-copy OOH ads, seen here:

“As a family of museums dedicated to the power of creativity, our mission is to champion design and creativity in all its forms for everyone,” said Sophie Rouse, head of integrated marketing and insight at the V&A. “Our new campaign gives space for people to enjoy all the incredible things they are into, with us. We’re not here to define what creativity is, we’re here to give people the space to define it themselves and find joy in doing so. From hyper-niche creative activations to high impact posters, the inclusiveness and versatility of the campaign enables us to tap into popular culture and trends in a highly targeted way. Proving that the V&A really does have something for everyone.” 

“Getting to make creative things for a living is a gift. To make them for the home of creativity is a unique privilege,” said Mark Shanley, creative director at adam&eveDDB. “This campaign positions the V&A as having something in its collection for you no matter what you’re into. What are you into? Football? Fashion? Flappy Bird? Yes, they’re all in the V&A. Jewellery. Yep. Star Wars? Loads of it. The world’s oldest, most beautiful and historically important carpet. Yes, they have that too. And 2.8 million other things. Come to the V&A and see for yourself. You won’t be disappointed.”