Activate With Purpose
When the request came from Tishman Speyer to find new and unexpected ways to draw attention to the retail space at their stately property, The Franklin, we were determined to make the story meaningful. Still emerging from a pandemic that had upended cities around the world, we knew we had to make it about more than just empty retail space.
The Franklin is a property deep in Chicago’s Loop, a central business district challenged on many fronts. Still, in our minds, the assignment entailed more than maximizing a small budget and drawing attention in a deserted, post-COVID part of downtown. It needed to go beyond being simply another big, splashy graphic signage program in a retail window.
Brainstorming with Tishman Speyer’s marketing and leasing team, we began to see their desire to align with something artistic and cause-related. Tishman Speyer has long been an advocate of the arts. How could this retail marketing effort bring value to the community as well as to the leasing effort? What cause could we find that had an inspiring and authentic message appropriate to this urban storefront space?
Torque connected Tishman Speyer to Arts of Life, an arts organization that champions artists with developmental disabilities, helping them use their art as a catalyst for personal growth.
Arts of Life introduced us to Tim Stone, an artist in their program who paints big geometric forms, colors and patterns. He was an immediate fit, and eager to see his work get broad exposure. The moment he was awarded the assignment, he quickly set out to execute two large pieces for display, while we looked for ways to showcase his other work at the storefront.
The final installation is a series of bold hanging panels of Tim’s work, designed to be viewed through “portals” in the windows, or browsed within the activated space. The final display was a true delight and passersby were as intrigued as we hoped, leaning excitedly in to peer through the windows.
The message of this display was about more than the corner retail space. It was a way to publicize the powerful mission Arts of Life fosters. We promoted the display through an integrated PR, social media and email effort, over a 3-month course of communications. The messaging and promotion are ongoing and the response has been tremendous. Organizations, business people and passersby have been sharing the news of the space, posting selfies and small videos, all in support of the impactful display.
The installation will rotate every three months, so don’t miss this inaugural exhibit, at the corner of Franklin and Monroe. Come see it, learn about how Arts of Life is a part of the Chicago community, and spread the word.
