Into history? Pottery? Gaming, perhaps? Maybe Taylor Swift? A new campaign for The V&A from Adam&EveDDB showcases the museum's vast range of collections to reinforce that no matter what you’re into, it’s in the V&A.

The V&A’s permanent collection houses over 2.8 million objects which tell a 5000-year-old story of creativity, spanning every facet of creativity. Yet, while most people have heard of the V&A, the museum’s new campaign was built on the insight that few people feel familiar with what The V&A has to offer. A disconnect which is particularly felt amongst younger people.

To fill this void the campaign is designed to give audiences a taste of some of the items that the museum houses. As well as the sorts of interests these items serve to fuel.

The campaign, which is called ‘If you’re into it, it’s in the V&A’, is designed to tap into people’s niche passions be it stamps or streetwear, to reinforce to audiences that they are sure to find something that piques their interest in the V&A.

A range of visual installations feature pictures of objects that can be found in the museum with copy that points audiences to the V&A to find more that fuels their passion. The visuals run across OOH, press, digital and social media to showcase 70 objects representing popular passions such as football, music and fashion. Each object links back to real objects in the V&A collection, showing that the museum has every possible interest covered.    

Honing in on people’s niches and championing curiosity the campaign also includes hyper-targeted activations, including buried treasures for metal detectorists and bespoke creations for cultural festivals, each meticulously crafted object resonates with specific communities.

Once such activation was a silverware stunt where a century-old silver tankard was engraved with a unique message and buried in a popular Oxfordshire metal-detecting location. Limited edition embroidered pocket squares were given away at a specialist tailor and a handmade 2-metre-long battle flag was displayed by an armoured participant for a battle reenactment group. Another was an online stunt in video game, Grand Theft Auto Online where the campaign message was displayed on the clothing of TikTok influencer Shlottie’s avatar as she broadcasts live on Twitch.

The activations encourage active participation from the communities they seek to reach, encouraging exploration. By presenting audiences with unique challenges and sparking curiosity the campaign positions The V&A as a facilitator of inquisitiveness.

To support the activity, Hope&Glory PR helped to run a nationwide recruitment drive to identify nine new ‘Superfan Advisors’ for the museum which gained national coverage across Breakfast News. The recruitment drive sought to find superfans to act as advisers for the V&A’s team on their chosen subjects including Taylor Swift, Toby Jugs, Emojis, Tufting, Gorpcore, LEGO, Pokemon, Crocs and Drag.

Engaging with passion points as diverse as emojis, Toby Jugs and Crocs, the campaign challenges the expectations of museums. By shunning the stuffy and championing curiosity the campaign successfully opens doors to new audiences.

Showcasing the breadth and range the V&A has to offer the campaign welcomes a new generation of museum visitors. By honing in on specific parts of culture and authentically engaging communities with bespoke content, the campaign reinforces the message that there is truly something for everyone in The V&A.