With the Season Two premiere of National Geographic’s award winning series, Genius, the core objective of Genius: Studio, was to not only incite awareness and curiosity about the series, but also to immerse visitors in the life and mind of Pablo Picasso himself. Our task was to create an engaging activation to bring Genius to the forefront of buzzworthy conversation, driving incremental attention and social media coverage. Genius: Studio was intended to expand the definition of a “genius” into arts and culture, and further modernize Picasso in today’s cultural zeitgeist and invite consumers to engage with his rebellious nature and creative brilliance, beyond the main series, in real life.

In the conception and development of Genius: Studio, the central idea was to create a multi-purpose experiential space - including an immersive artist’s studio, digital activation, and all-encompassing event venue. The space acted as a stylized, deconstructed interpretation of Pablo Picasso’s studio. It included artistically designed scenic photo-ops, channeling some of the most iconic eras of Picasso’s work, including cubism, surrealism, and the blue and rose period. Themed scenic backdrops in the style of the series and the brand were placed throughout the experience to bring guests from the streets of Downtown New York City into the world and life of an artist. To amplify the activation, interactive and digital components were incorporated, including custom-built digital easels, take home souvenirs, sharable photos, and an ever-changing digital mural composed of the guest’s artwork, which translated to out of home media and tune in promotion for the series.

In parallel with the strategy of the series, Genius: Studio was designed to invite a wide diversity of guests. It was intended to recapture viewers who had tuned into season one; the audiences drawn to the stories and lives of iconic figures. However; more specifically, this experience was meant to target new audiences, those who might be interested in the dramatic nature of the new season, and the unique personal and professional life of Pablo Picasso. Once immersed in this artistic environment, participating in unique, designed photo-ops, and creating individualized digital artworks, the goal was for guests to be captivated by the experience and encouraged to tune into season two of the series.

The partnership between National Geographic and the agency for Genius: Studio began in January 2018. This collaborative creative development and production workflow ran from February 2018 through the experience launch on April 19th, and culminated in a 4-night and 4-day activation in downtown New York City. Visitors lined up around the corner to step inside, were transported into a modernized, deconstructed version of a working artist’s studio, and were guided through the experience by intuitive, stylized wayfinding. Guests designed and shared their own works of art on interactive digital easels, became transformed in a cubist photo booth, stepped in between the layers of an anamorphic painting, and immersed themselves in real life blue and rose colored filters. The experience expanded outside of the activation through out of home advertising, an ever-changing digital mural, and post cards that allowed guests to take their artwork home with them.

This installation drove thousands of visitors over several days, and drove viewership to the Genius series and National Geographic channel, website, and social media.