Not your typical dry museum!
Located in Savannah’s popular City Market, the American Prohibition Museum is the first and only museum in the United States dedicated to the history of Prohibition. Highlighting an era of gangsters, rumrunners, and flappers, the museum brings the Roaring Twenties to life with over 20 intoxicating exhibits and an authentic speak-easy. Featuring 21st century technology and immersive displays, the museum takes guests on a journey through the past to the early 1900s when anti-alcohol rallies swept the nation and America’s struggle with alcohol was brought to light.
Challenges: Raising the bar for history museums
Perhaps the biggest challenge of working on this project was the fact that the finished product had yet to be built. As a brand new attraction, our clients took on the challenging task of transforming an empty retail space into an interactive museum, and we were to help them tell their story along the way.
But how do you market something before it’s open? How do you sell an idea before you know what the finished product looks like? It was definitely a challenge, but not one we weren’t up for. We were committed to establishing this museum as a fun way to drink up some history while visiting Savannah.
Strategy/solutions: Delivering the goods
Meeting with the museum team and their designers from the start, we helped craft the attraction’s unique brand identity, painting it a as must-see attraction in town. While our client takes great pride in telling a historical tale, we still wanted the museum to be fun and exciting — just like the period in history we were trying to capture.
Given that the space was still in the process of being built, we didn’t have many visuals to work with for our marketing materials. To overcome that challenge we worked with a historical archive company and obtained the rights to use movie clips and pieces from the 1920s. Through the curation of this authentic creative, we successfully produced a 30-second video reel that we placed on the museum’s website.
A spirited Savannah attraction
Now, we don’t like to brag, but the museum’s website is really the bee’s knees. Complete with time period typography, visuals, and copy, the fully responsive site gives visitors a taste of the Prohibition era while providing a glimpse of the exhibits and activities the attraction has to offer. It’s a modern website with an old-fashioned feel, one that clearly tells the story of both the era’s rebels and hatcheteers.
In addition to the museum’s website, we assisted with securing domains, social media accounts, and business listings for our client. We produced email communications to help spread the word about the museum’s opening events, as well as a brochure concept that was to be used as marketing collateral.
Once the museum was finally completed, our team then traveled to Savannah for a photo- and video-shoot. With these new creative elements, we were able to produce print and online ads as well as engaging social media videos, used to target our desired audiences.
Results: A roaring good time
Through the execution of some spirited creative pieces, all the while working alongside our client, we ultimately helped tell the story of American Prohibition and its impact on the nation. Today, the Savannah museum is filled with daily visitors, receives great reviews, and I guess you could say it’s the talk of the town. Within months of opening, it’s been listed as one of the top museums in Georgia, and perhaps the only one ever with a Zagat-rated cocktail bar.
