Community Voice

The Brookly Museum is closing The Black List Project, a display of 25 portraits of influential African American individuals. This is a subsequent exhibition that accompanies the HBO documentary of the same name. If you were one of the lucky ones to see the film premier at the Sundance Film Festival last year or when it was on air in August 2008 you might not be impressed with the museum’s attempt to bring the work on the road; but the kiosks in the gallery make this a great example of how brands can use the internet, social networks, and new media to engage consumers.

Using simple laptops (with web cams attached), visitors were asked to share their experiences related to race and the impact it has had on their lives and accomplishments. These videos were then uploaded directly to the Brooklyn Museum's The Black List Project YouTube Channel.

Using standard YouTube features, these videos can then be shared, emailed, posted to Facebook, even rated and commented on. Clearly this effective low-cost tactic can drive consumer affinity, but making it digital and leveraging social networks has added a viral component that can exist beyond the life of the exhibition.