Case study: #GettyMuseumChallenge by J. Paul Getty Museum

Context

The Getty Museum, based in Los Angeles, has long been a leader in art education and awareness, dedicated to connecting people with art globally. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the museum faced the challenge of transitioning its in-person exhibitions and educational services to an online platform. The need to continue engaging with audiences and promoting the museum’s vast collection of artwork in a way that could connect people during lockdown became a top priority.

Issue

With the physical museum closed due to the pandemic, the Getty Museum had to find a way to maintain its visibility and outreach while engaging audiences in meaningful ways. The challenge was to stay connected with the public and provide a platform for creativity and engagement, despite the constraints of social distancing and quarantine measures. Traditional museum visits were not possible, so a solution was required that could replicate the experience of visiting and interacting with art remotely.

Action taken

To address this issue, the Getty Museum launched the #gettymuseumchallenge on March 25, 2020, across multiple social media platforms including X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook. The challenge invited the public to recreate famous works of art from the Getty’s collection using everyday household items. This social media-driven initiative encouraged user-generated content, which was then shared on the museum’s platforms, helping to foster a sense of community and creativity during a time of isolation. The Getty Museum’s staff focused on creating uplifting, inspiring content that would drive conversations and participation. Additionally, the museum leveraged its online archive, providing free access to its vast collection of artworks for participants to draw inspiration from.

You can find some of the results of the campaign here.

Lessons learnt

1. The simplicity and accessibility of the challenge rules (recreate art using household items) made it appealing to a wide audience, even those with no prior art experience. This resulted in high engagement and made the museum’s content easy to share.

2. User-generated content became a powerful tool for promoting the museum. The Getty was able to repurpose content from participants, creating an authentic connection with their audience while saving on production costs.

3. The campaign adapted to each social media platform’s strengths. For instance, X’s real-time engagement helped generate quick responses, while Instagram’s visual-centric format provided a better space for showcasing art recreations, leading to higher engagement in terms of likes and comments.

4. The campaign succeeded in reaching an audience beyond the typical museum-goer, including individuals who may not have visited the Getty in person. The use of social media allowed the museum to engage a global audience, transcending geographical boundaries.

5. While engagement was initially high, it tapered off after the first few weeks. This highlighted the challenge of maintaining long-term interest and momentum in a social media campaign, particularly with platforms like X, where content has a short lifespan.

Conclusion

The Getty Museum’s #gettymuseumchallenge was a successful initiative that allowed the museum to maintain relevance and connection with its audience during the COVID-19 pandemic. By encouraging creativity and participation, the museum not only kept its community engaged but also expanded its reach to new audiences across the globe.

The campaign demonstrated the potential of social media to foster creativity, build community, and promote cultural institutions during times of crisis.

The key takeaways are the importance of simple, inclusive engagement strategies, the value of user-generated content, and the need to tailor content to each platform’s strengths. The Getty Museum’s approach highlights how cultural institutions can use social media creatively to engage audiences in meaningful and lasting ways.