As WQXR's agency of record, we are rewriting the rules for promoting classical music while expanding the cultural leader's national influence.
Our kickoff campaign celebrated "Beethoven Awareness Month" by flipping expectations and recasting the composer as a modern cultural icon. Our antidote to the perception of classical music being stodgy and elitist began with street-level wild postings around NYC featuring an image inspired by Shepard Fairey's iconic graphic style and the words OBEY-THOVEN.
The ambitions of the OBEYTHOVEN campaign went beyond boosting listenership as we sought to instill a new appreciation for centuries-old music. With a magnanimous nod of approval, Shepard Fairey loved the idea, remarking to the New York Times, "of course I support classical music, and this homage to my work made me smile.” Stuart Elliot of the Times added, “The extent of the WQXR campaign mirrors its ambitions" while New York Magazine’s tastemaking Approval Matrix positioned the campaign at the apex of “Highbrow/Brilliant.”