To demonstrate the sophistication and innovation of Lennox products, we held a first-of-its-kind exhibition of art + engineering called “Degrees of Perfect.” It featured five murals, each highlighting a quality of a Lennox® HVAC system. The paint the artists used was thermochromic, meaning it changes color based on the temperature. And the walls they painted on were custom built by Lennox engineers to house Lennox heating and cooling units. By precisely controlling the temperature of the walls in a way only Lennox can, the murals transformed. As each came to life, each told a visual story.

Our exhibition was held at the Container Yard in the burgeoning arts district of downtown Los Angeles on June 24th, 2016. We had five transforming murals inside, along with DJs Toro Y Moi and starRo. On the Container Yard grounds we also had two food trucks and a bar.

To invite guests, we wanted to send them something as unique as our exhibition, so starting June 3rd, we mailed out individually numbered, original pieces of art, created with thermochromic paint. When touched, the paint reacts to your body heat and the art transforms, just like the murals.

While the R&D and painting of the murals was done the months leading up to the exhibition, we started teasing it with online videos beginning June 6th. We continued to post teasers every few days, until we revealed the murals and their transformations with a sizzle video the day before the exhibition.

We set out to change the conversation around Lennox and HVAC, and we did.

From created content, the campaign to date has garnered 28 million impressions, over 2.1 million video views, and 185,000 engagements. The event was covered not only by the advertising trades but was also picked up by a wide range of media publications including culture blogs such as Mashable, tech magazines like Popular Mechanics, as well as art and architecture magazines like Architectural Digest. Best yet, Lennox posted record-setting sales for the year.

The “Degrees of Perfect” wasn’t just something the industry had never seen before. It had never been done before, period. By bringing art + engineering together, our first-of-its-kind exhibition introduced Lennox to a whole new audience, while beginning to change how people talked about their products–from clunky, hidden boxes–to innovative, smart home appliances that can no longer be ignored.

HVAC units are ignored inconveniences.

Among the things homeowners value in their homes, HVAC ranks at the bottom. They think heaters and air conditioners should be hidden in bushes out back. They’re considered “dumb” and unrewarding, almost like plumbing.

At the same time, many of the things homeowners value in other premium appliances are found in a Lennox HVAC system. They expect to pay a premium for convenience, efficiency and improved quality of living from the major appliances they put into their home.

To convince our design and tech-driven audience that Lennox HVAC units are smart, sophisticated, high-end appliances, we had to prove it with something real and tangible, while also reaching an audience on a large-scale.

Air conditioners and heaters aren’t sexy. They’re big, dumb, noisy boxes you hide in the attic or in the bushes behind your house. They all look the same and they’re marketed with the same stale advertising. So for Lennox to stand out, we needed to break out of the tired HVAC category. To do that, we had to prove to our design and tech-driven audience that Lennox units are sophisticated, innovative products that deserve the same level of attention and devotion as other smart home appliances.