Peabody Essex Museum and HATCH Invite Visitors to ‘Escape the Algorithm’

An imaginative brand campaign by Boston-based creative agency HATCH for Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) has delivered exceptional results, positioning the 225-year-old Salem institution as a powerful alternative to algorithm-driven digital experiences. The 'Escape the Algorithm' campaign drove website sessions up by nearly 50 percent and new online visitors up by almost 75 percent.

'Escape the Algorithm,' which began as a traditional awareness campaign, soon evolved into something much more ambitious as HATCH recognised an opportunity to differentiate PEM by addressing a fundamental challenge of modern life: the endless scroll of algorithmic content that dominates our daily experience.

“‘Escape the Algorithm’ came out of thinking of PEM not as a museum, but as an intentionally curated experience,” explained HATCH creative and brand director Doug Murphy. “From there it became clear PEM's biggest competition isn't other museums or activities. It's the algorithm that keeps us scrolling through the same targeted and increasingly artificial content. PEM is the antidote to that.”

The campaign's foundation rests on a simple but powerful contrast: while social media algorithms deliver content designed to keep users scrolling, PEM purposefully curates experiences that challenge perspectives and engage the senses. The campaign features striking and subversive imagery of diverse museum visitors through whose eyes we see PEM art and artifacts, paired with provocative headlines that compare in-real-life experiences to digital ones:

• “Stroll > Scroll”
• “Scenes > Screens”
• “Art > Artificial”
• “Touch > Screen”

The campaign came to life across multiple touchpoints, including billboards throughout Greater Boston, transit station domination ads and mall signage, along with digital and social media content. The campaign also incorporated live museum experiences and engagement activities.

To ensure its campaign would resonate with PEM's diverse target audiences, HATCH engaged its Cultural Advisory Council for the first time. This purposefully assembled group combines community leadership and activism with deep marketing expertise to identify potential cultural blind spots and strengthen creative concepts.

While the campaign's primary goals were awareness-focused, it delivered substantial business impact:

• Website sessions increased by nearly 50 percent.
• New website visitors grew by almost 75 percent.
• Generated 191 unexpected website purchases, creating an unplanned revenue stream.

Derek O’Brien, chief marketing officer at PEM, emphasised the campaign’s strategic importance, “We often hear people say they’re ‘not museum people,’ but when they experience PEM, they discover something completely unexpected. This campaign captures what makes us different. We’re not just showing art, we’re creating opportunities for human connection and cultural discovery that the algorithm can’t replicate.”

Jen Harrington, founder and CEO of HATCH, noted the collaborative nature of the project, “PEM has tremendous brand equity and fascinating DNA built over more than two centuries. We were inspired by their commitment to presenting diverse viewpoints that challenge perceptions and build empathy. The algorithm gives you more of what you already know: PEM opens you to what you never knew you needed to see.