| Title | PORTRAITS |
| Brand | ART GALLERY SOCIETY NSW |
| Product / Service | ART GALLERY NSW CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP |
| Entrant | WUNDERMAN Sydney, AUSTRALIA |
| Entrant Company: | WUNDERMAN Sydney, AUSTRALIA |
| Advertising Agency: | WUNDERMAN Sydney, AUSTRALIA |
| Name | Company | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Matt Batten | Wunderman | National Ecd |
| Amanda Glover | Wunderman | Art Director |
| Theodora Gerakiteys | Wunderman | Copywriter |
| Katie Oslizlok | Wunderman | Account Manager |
| Rebecca Masterson | Wunderman | Account Manager |
| Paul Hayes | Wunderman | Producer |
| Aaron Sutter | Wunderman | Retoucher |
| Seamus Fagan | Wunderman | Retoucher |
| Eithne Mcswiney | Wunderman | Client Services Director |
To acquire corporate sponsorship of the Art Gallery NSW, we secretly created portrait paintings of the CEOs of major corporations, then invited our subjects to see their portrait on display in Australia's most prestigious gallery – a painting they didn't even know existed. To create the paintings, we secretly sourced photos of our target CEOs, digitally treated them to simulate different ‘paint ‘ techniques (Van Gogh, Münch, Durer, Rembrandt, etc), printed them onto canvas, stretched them over wooden frames, and then applied a gel medium over the surface, creating the texture of real brush strokes. The finished pieces looked so genuine, even the art gallery staff thought they were real oil paintings. Upon arrival, they felt honoured to have their own portrait on display at Australia's most prestigious art gallery amongst Australia's longest running portraiture competition (since 1921), and were instantly receptive to becoming a corporate sponsor of the arts.
The direct mail piece had a 34% response rate (nearly seven times the average of 5%). Those who attended the event were delighted to see their personal portrait displayed in Australia’s most prestigious art gallery. This generated an acquisition rate of 14% (over 23 times the average of 0.6%). The Society used the ‘portrait offer’ as an ongoing hook to attract further acquisitions, resulting in the largest increase in annual sponsorship in decades.
1. A personalised Direct Mail pack informed top CEOs that their portrait was ready for viewing in the famous Archibald portrait exhibition at Australia's most prestigious art gallery. The sheer surprise and intrigue of a portrait they didn't know existed tapped into their ego and helped ensure their attendance. 2. At the Experiential Event, they were delighted to discover their portrait on display alongside Picasso and Degas artworks. They were instantly more receptive to becoming a corporate sponsor of the art gallery as the gallery's director gave a short speech on the benefits. 3. After the event, their portrait was sent to them (whether they became a sponsor or not) as a constant reminder of their experience and the importance of art.