Los Angeles is known for attracting creative personalities, whether they be actors, singers, dancers, movie producers, or other artists.
PROJECT DETAILS
Location: Los Angeles
Developer: The Wolff Co.
Campaign began: March 2017
In an art-focused hub in the heart of downtown LA, The Wolff Co. gave local artists a chance to make it big with an innovative marketing campaign at its OLiVE DTLA community.
In a partnership with Flux Branding and Wicked PR, Wolff launched the OLiVE Artist-in-Residence (AiR) Campaign, which put out a call for artists to apply for a residency at OLiVE. One chosen artist would receive a two-story mezzanine loft unit rent free for six months, during which time the winning artist would have the opportunity to create and display his or her art on-site and engage with residents through hosted events. The winner would also receive $2,000 per month to buy art supplies.
Photos courtesy of The Wolff Company
The Wolff Co. received over 180 submissions, which a team of judges narrowed down to four finalists. The winning artist was announced at the OLiVE AiR Show, an event at the property that featured the four finalists’ artwork. Bicoastal street artist Kelcey Fisher (aka KFiSH) was selected as the artist in residence, and the event’s 600 attendees were invited to check out his new loft staged with his art pieces.
“It’s the first time they’ve done anything like this, and to have been selected is an honor,” said Fisher at the show. “A lot of magic is going to happen here—a lot of creative energy. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I’m happy to have won and to be able to give back to this community as much as I can.”
During his residency, Fisher collaborated with international artists to paint several murals throughout the building, including one for the building exterior facing Olive Street. Wolff purchased other pieces of art from Fisher to adorn the walls at OLiVE in addition to other artwork by local creatives displayed throughout the property.
“Our primary target audience for this campaign was a mix of progressive urbanites, art enthusiasts, downtown insiders, and the modern creative class that are all actively participating in the renaissance of neighborhoods throughout LA,” says Amber Huntley-Ruiz, director of marketing. “They follow the arts and they care about the purpose of a community as much as, if not more than, the community features. They are culture creators and placemakers, and whether or not they rented at OLiVE, we wanted them to be talking about it.”
The campaign cost totaled about $75,000, not including the six months of free rent. The program added over $100,000 worth of permanent art to the building and increased leasing traffic by 45%.