ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO | Van Gogh's Bedrooms | 2017
Sleeping inside the painting / Art Institute of Chicago "Van Gogh's Bedrooms"
You could actually spend the night in Van Gogh's Bedroom. Turning a museum exhibit into a $10-a-night Airbnb stay is a wild idea.
The problem
In 2016, the Art Institute of Chicago held North America's first exhibition bringing together Van Gogh's three Bedroom paintings. It's a painting everyone already knows, and just running a regular exhibition wasn't going to move younger audiences. Leo Burnett Chicago's challenge was figuring out how to get past that wall.
The insight
Everyone knows the painting. But nobody knows what Van Gogh actually felt in that room. Stepping inside feels like it could bring you so much closer than just looking ever could. That shift—from viewing to experiencing—is where the idea began.
The idea
They recreated the Bedroom at full scale inside an actual apartment in Chicago. The walls, floor, and bed were all painted with the texture of Van Gogh's rough brushstrokes, turning the room into something you could step right into—like walking into the painting itself. Then they listed it on Airbnb for $10 a night. The host was listed as "Vincent van Gogh" himself, with a note saying he just needed $10 to cover paint supplies. A nice touch: they placed it within walking distance of the exhibition itself.
What happened
Bookings filled up within five minutes of going live, and media in more than 100 countries covered it. The campaign won the Grand Prix in the Creative Effectiveness category at Cannes Lions.
Afterthought
Not just looking, but staying the night. It's amazing how playfully a museum ad can leap past convention like this. The $10 price tag, the "Van Gogh himself" conceit—every little detail of it is just lovely.
Awards
- Cannes Lions Gold 2017
