Rotterdam-based independent creative studio From Form has brought more than 60 of Amsterdam’s museums together in a charming flipbook campaign which highlights the best culture the city has to offer.
Amsterdam is famous for its beautiful canals and cycling culture, amongst other things, but did you know that every year, more than 60 museums in the Dutch capital throw open their doors at night so that people can look around after dark? Taking place this year on 4 November, Museumnacht Amsterdam gives an expected 32,000 visitors a unique chance to craft their own evening of nocturnal museum-based merriment.
This year’s Amsterdam Museum Night, to give it its English name, is themed around the idea of DIT, DAT, DARR, which translates as This, That, There. It’s a fun shorthand for the excitement people can expect as they dash from the Rijksmuseum to the Van Gosh museum, and this fragmentary approach was picked up in From Form’s campaign advertising the event.
Famously fans of all things analogue, From Form decided to use a spiral-bound flip book as the basis of their design campaign. Considering that visitors will be taking in choice highlights of Amsterdam’s museums, with no two nights looking exactly the same, this mix-and-match approach is the perfect fit.
Responsible for handling the creative concept, animation, photography and typography for the campaign, the From Form team set about making a real, physical flip book packed with digital photos of the city’s famous museums, as well as a few exclusive snaps of items stored away in archives.
Accompanying the flip book are DIT, DAT, and DAR stickers. These delightfully tactile stickers are also one of a kind, with over 500 specially made with their own unique details and imperfections. Instagram users won’t be left out of the fun, though, as the stickers will be able to be used as filters plastered over stories created during the night.
As well as the flip book and stickers, the night will also be promoted with a soundtrack scored by Dutch electronic music producer Beau Zwart. This custom soundtrack uses a variety of voice samples taken from people saying DIT, DAT, and DAR, which work together to create unique harmonies.
“To celebrate the event’s great versatility, we focused on its details – literally,” says From Form creative director and co-founder Jurjen Versteeg. “Equipped with two photo cameras, we explored Amsterdam’s museums, capturing thousands of close-ups of its art, interiors, and facades. These fragments, flashes and details of museums, people, art and the city together formed a series of rich and rhythmic collages.”
Ashley Govers, From Form creative director and co-founder, adds: “We opted for an optimistic and upbeat tone of voice. One that’s playful and rhythmic, putting a strong emphasis on the analogue approach – such as the flipbook, printed textures and stickers – with a hint of nostalgia.
“We found it important not to make it too text-heavy and instead invite the audience in an approachable and visually convincing way that resembles an individual’s unique experience of the event.”
