The Next Original

A contest that changed lives

Solutions

Brand Development & Creative Services

UI/UX Design & Digital Development

Stakeholder Engagement & Loyalty

Project Management & Procurement

One of the most unique pieces of The Kessler Collection story is the art, specifically, how Richard Kessler travels the world and invests in undiscovered talent. With his gift, he has launched careers, inspired new artists and hundreds of thousands of hotel guests with his passion. We believed this story should get a lot more attention. So leading up to New Year’s Eve, we hosted an art contest called, The Next Original. The winner would get their art hung in Times Square for more than one billion people to see when the ball drops.

We created a campaign that included on-property touch points, social media assets, a landing page and a Time Square ad that called all artists to submit their favorite work.

More than 1,800 artists sent their work to be considered. Richard Kessler and his Art Gallery Directors personally reviewed every submission, and were blown away.

Ten people were chosen as finalists and were flown to Savannah, to Kessler’s Savannah property, The JW Marriott Savannah Plant Riverside District, for an expenses paid stay, judging ceremony and winner celebration.

Much to their surprise, Richard Kessler chose all of them. Their artwork rotated in Times Square on New Year’s Eve, for over one million people to see live and over one billion people who tuned in. Since then, the winner’s art has been sold in Kessler Collection Galleries across the East Coast.

MetroNational /Building Better Lives.

The Next Original /A contest that changed lives.

Coca-Cola Consolidated /Finding Purpose behind every bottle.

The Kessler Collection /Inspiration from the inside out.

Mastercard /Connecting Mastercard’s culture through Priceless Possibilities.

ASU Prep Digital /Preparing over 400,000 students for college, careers and life.

ABM /Helping 140,000 people belong.

Plant Riverside District /Bringing Savannah’s Entertainment District to life.