Three Exhibitions – Three Locations – A One-time Event
October 31, 2017 marks 500 years since Martin Luther published his Ninety-Five Theses, which he is said to have nailed to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg.
To celebrate this anniversary three renowned German museums – the Deutsches Historisches Museum, the Wartburg Foundation, and the Luther Memorials Foundation of Saxony-Anhalt – have prepared exhibitions on the topic of “Reformation” in all its facets and manifestations. The three exhibitions complement and build upon one other, offering a broad overview of important aspects of the Reformation. A visit to one exhibition is sure to make you curious to see the others.
Our Idea: The Hammer
Following the strong image of Luther nailing theses to a door we developed an eye-catching campaign. Its symbol is the hammer – the tool inextricably linked in our collective memory to Martin Luther and the Reformation. Here, the hammer stands for many things: as the tool that creates a bang followed by long echoes, for destruction, but also construction. In German, the word “Hammer” can also be used to mean something great, surprising, and unique.
The slogan associated with it – “The full power of the Reformation” – conjures the hammer’s powerful, downward blow, getting to the heart of the effective power of the National Special Exhibitions: It’s only in combination that they show a complete, comprehensive picture of the “Reformation” as a subject matter.
I was lucky to contribute to this project as a design director for the agency kleiner und bold.
Awards: Red Dot Award 2016, German Design Award 2017, iF Design Award 2017