Our initial idea to get 5G in the hands of consumers using an outdoor activation with The Metropolitan Museum of Art hit a roadblock when lockdown began. While hitting pause, we discovered that access to art, especially during uncertain times, could provide comfort on a massive scale.

We knew we could help, so we pivoted quickly to a mobile 5G experience that brought The Met to consumers.

This drove significant lift in Verizon 5G leadership perceptions and garnered an incredible “92% likely to recommend.”

The Met Unframed used the meaning of art to make Verizon’s 5G network meaningful.

Around the time that we launched, the total number of global COVID-19 cases surpassed 100 million. With no mass distribution of vaccines in place, lockdowns were once again shutting down museums and public spaces to which people would typically turn for comfort and connection.

At the same time, Verizon was at risk of losing our 5G network leadership position, a crucial attribute for brand growth. During a time when no one could walk the physical halls of the Met, our brief was clear: demonstrate Verizon’s 5G network could bring a new dimension to the world’s most famous galleries, through a partnership with The Metropolitan Museum of Art, in the middle of a pandemic.

Our objectives were two-fold: 1) Get as many people to experience The Met Unframed and recommend it, and 2) Differentiate Verizon 5G through brand perceptions for best, most reliable, and fastest 5G network.

Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband technology launched in April 2019, with other telecom providers launching their own versions of 5G soon after. By 2020, there was awareness of 5G but also a healthy dose of consumer skepticism—no one had been able to make the benefits tangible.

While Verizon remained number one in network superiority, our leadership perceptions were being challenged by marketplace confusion about the differences between carriers’ respective 5G offerings, causing a steady decline in our competitive advantage.

To tackle this issue and to reinforce that our version of 5G was superior amongst our core 18-54 target, we created experiences in partnership with blue chip organizations including the NFL, Apple, and The New York Times.

Our task was clear: instead of just telling people about 5G, we needed to demonstrate it. In doing so, we would drive positive brand perceptions for best, most reliable, and fastest 5G network.

When The Met closed its doors due to COVID-19, articles and reports arose that spoke to the need for art citing health benefits including decreased anxiety levels and increased positive emotions like hope, and optimism. While all this research was enlightening, there was one powerful line in a specific article that actually unlocked our strategy:

“Art’s main value is its ability to humanize us. Art is an antidote in times of chaos, a roadmap for greater clarity, a force of resistance and repair.”

The first nine words alone reframed how we thought about the challenge and inspired us to find a way to reopen The Met’s galleries online.

This spurred us to build a new way for people to “walk” the halls of The Met, and using 5G Ultra Wideband, create immersive experiences that gave new meaning to some of the world’s most famous art pieces.

The creative idea is The Met Unframed: a 5G-powered immersive mobile experience to browse curations, play educational games, and “take home” Met artwork with AR.

This was a collaboration that blended medium and message. Verizon brought programming skills, 4G and 5G technology, 3D artists, and a deep understanding of consumer behavior on mobile devices. The Met brought curators, photographers, archivists, and decades of institutional knowledge of the world’s most famous art.

There were two key building blocks to the execution that were directly influenced by the creative idea:

1. The name: “The Met Unframed” was a compelling hook that telegraphed a new way for people to “walk” the halls of The Met and interact with art like never before.

2. The interactivity: games, trivia questions, riddles, and a “Zoom and Spot” challenge encouraged close observation of the artwork and helped visitors develop their knowledge of art history.

The Met Unframed enabled the museum to widen its reach and keep its collections in the public eye at a time when visitors couldn’t be there in person, as the accessibility of the mobile format meant that people from all over the world could join. In total, we saw 700k visits from 148 countries. The vast digital audience proved how effective innovative WebAR technology is in driving engagement among users, marking The Met Unframed as a successful extension of the institution’s 151-year mission to connect people to art and ideas.

And, we achieve our business goals driving a positive impact for our brand – 60% reported that the experience improved their perception that Verizon enables them to do new things (a key internal metric).

We didn’t just reopen one of the world’s most important art collections. We inspired a new kind of connection to culture and creativity, powered by 5G.