WQXR

Campaigns

At Eyeball, I worked with WQXR on marketing to attract a younger, more diverse audience to classical radio. Our irreverent multi-year campaigns helped it become the leading classical radio station in the U.S.

Client

New York Public Radio

Agency

Eyeball

Role

Executive Creative Director

Year

2011-2015

The first campaign celebrated "Beethoven Awareness Month" by flipping expectations and recasting the composer as a modern cultural icon.

Playing counter to stodgy perceptions of classical music, the campaign began with wild postings featuring an image inspired by Shepard Fairey's iconic style and the words OBEY-THOVEN. Shepard had designed a poster for my company, Expansion Team, and he gave a magnanimous nod of approval to our campaign, remarking to The New York Times, "Of course I support classical music, and this homage to my work made me smile." The campaign pushed WQXR to the #1 ratings slot in classical radio, and New York Magazine positioned the campaign at the apex of “Highbrow / Brilliant” in its Approval Matrix.

The first campaign celebrated "Beethoven Awareness Month" by flipping expectations and recasting the composer as a modern cultural icon.

Playing counter to stodgy perceptions of classical music, the campaign began with wild postings featuring an image inspired by Shepard Fairey's iconic style and the words OBEY-THOVEN. Shepard had designed a poster for my company, Expansion Team, and he gave a magnanimous nod of approval to our campaign, remarking to The New York Times, "Of course I support classical music, and this homage to my work made me smile." The campaign pushed WQXR to the #1 ratings slot in classical radio, and New York Magazine positioned the campaign at the apex of “Highbrow / Brilliant” in its Approval Matrix.

The first campaign celebrated "Beethoven Awareness Month" by flipping expectations and recasting the composer as a modern cultural icon.

Playing counter to stodgy perceptions of classical music, the campaign began with wild postings featuring an image inspired by Shepard Fairey's iconic style and the words OBEY-THOVEN. Shepard had designed a poster for my company, Expansion Team, and he gave a magnanimous nod of approval to our campaign, remarking to The New York Times, "Of course I support classical music, and this homage to my work made me smile." The campaign pushed WQXR to the #1 ratings slot in classical radio, and New York Magazine positioned the campaign at the apex of “Highbrow / Brilliant” in its Approval Matrix.

Two years later, we flipped the campaign, covering OBEYTHOVEN art with Mozart graffiti. Once it got attention, we replaced the posters with "I AM A DEUS."

The I AM A DEUS campaign captured the composer's rebellious spirit while delivering a bold message for WQXR. Along with wild postings, murals, digital banners, and a TV spot, we developed and managed an extensive social media campaign and launched a “Life with Wolfie” Tumblr—a fictional parenting blog penned by little Wolfgang's overbearing stage dad, Leopold. Once again, WQXR received praise from The New York Times and New York Magazine’s Approval Matrix.

Two years later, we flipped the campaign, covering OBEYTHOVEN art with Mozart graffiti. Once it got attention, we replaced the posters with "I AM A DEUS."

The I AM A DEUS campaign captured the composer's rebellious spirit while delivering a bold message for WQXR. Along with wild postings, murals, digital banners, and a TV spot, we developed and managed an extensive social media campaign and launched a “Life with Wolfie” Tumblr—a fictional parenting blog penned by little Wolfgang's overbearing stage dad, Leopold. Once again, WQXR received praise from The New York Times and New York Magazine’s Approval Matrix.

Two years later, we flipped the campaign, covering OBEYTHOVEN art with Mozart graffiti. Once it got attention, we replaced the posters with "I AM A DEUS."

The I AM A DEUS campaign captured the composer's rebellious spirit while delivering a bold message for WQXR. Along with wild postings, murals, digital banners, and a TV spot, we developed and managed an extensive social media campaign and launched a “Life with Wolfie” Tumblr—a fictional parenting blog penned by little Wolfgang's overbearing stage dad, Leopold. Once again, WQXR received praise from The New York Times and New York Magazine’s Approval Matrix.

We then reimagined J.S. Bach as a psychedelic rock god, underscoring the mind-expanding nature of his music.

The campaign promoted a 30-day celebration of the father of Western music, culminating in a 24-hour live performance of his complete organ works. Our striking key art was filled with hidden details and became the basis for wild postings, print signage, street art, digital ads, sticker sheets, and a TV spot.

We then reimagined J.S. Bach as a psychedelic rock god, underscoring the mind-expanding nature of his music.

The campaign promoted a 30-day celebration of the father of Western music, culminating in a 24-hour live performance of his complete organ works. Our striking key art was filled with hidden details and became the basis for wild postings, print signage, street art, digital ads, sticker sheets, and a TV spot.

We then reimagined J.S. Bach as a psychedelic rock god, underscoring the mind-expanding nature of his music.

The campaign promoted a 30-day celebration of the father of Western music, culminating in a 24-hour live performance of his complete organ works. Our striking key art was filled with hidden details and became the basis for wild postings, print signage, street art, digital ads, sticker sheets, and a TV spot.

To evoke the transformative power of classical music, we created a series of audio spots to transform everyday sounds into recognizable classics, literally "auto-tuning" the city.

I called on my friend Flip Baber to bring our concepts to life. Flip has many musical talents and a deep love of classical music, but it's his rare combination of synesthesia and perfect pitch that gives him an advantage over almost every other human I know for a project like this. His attention to detail shows in pieces like "Jogging," which we wanted to take place in springtime Central Park. Flip spent days researching bird migration to make sure that our educated audience wouldn't call us out on using the wrong songbirds to recreate Vivaldi's melody.

To evoke the transformative power of classical music, we created a series of audio spots to transform everyday sounds into recognizable classics, literally "auto-tuning" the city.

I called on my friend Flip Baber to bring our concepts to life. Flip has many musical talents and a deep love of classical music, but it's his rare combination of synesthesia and perfect pitch that gives him an advantage over almost every other human I know for a project like this. His attention to detail shows in pieces like "Jogging," which we wanted to take place in springtime Central Park. Flip spent days researching bird migration to make sure that our educated audience wouldn't call us out on using the wrong songbirds to recreate Vivaldi's melody.

To evoke the transformative power of classical music, we created a series of audio spots to transform everyday sounds into recognizable classics, literally "auto-tuning" the city.

I called on my friend Flip Baber to bring our concepts to life. Flip has many musical talents and a deep love of classical music, but it's his rare combination of synesthesia and perfect pitch that gives him an advantage over almost every other human I know for a project like this. His attention to detail shows in pieces like "Jogging," which we wanted to take place in springtime Central Park. Flip spent days researching bird migration to make sure that our educated audience wouldn't call us out on using the wrong songbirds to recreate Vivaldi's melody.

WQXR "Sounds of the City"

Flip Baber

WQXR "Sounds of the City"

Flip Baber

One of the last projects I led for WQXR at Eyeball was to create a campaign for the station’s musical instruments drive.

I worked with my partner, Tatiana Arocha, to make an animated spot and poster that was displayed around the city and at brand partner Sam Ash Music. The campaign was covered by The New York Times and was very successful, collecting over 6,000 instrument donations between 2014 and 2015.

One of the last projects I led for WQXR at Eyeball was to create a campaign for the station’s musical instruments drive.

I worked with my partner, Tatiana Arocha, to make an animated spot and poster that was displayed around the city and at brand partner Sam Ash Music. The campaign was covered by The New York Times and was very successful, collecting over 6,000 instrument donations between 2014 and 2015.

One of the last projects I led for WQXR at Eyeball was to create a campaign for the station’s musical instruments drive.

I worked with my partner, Tatiana Arocha, to make an animated spot and poster that was displayed around the city and at brand partner Sam Ash Music. The campaign was covered by The New York Times and was very successful, collecting over 6,000 instrument donations between 2014 and 2015.

Credits
Eyeball

Limore Shur, Executive Creative Director

Alex Moulton, Executive Creative Director

TJ McCormick, Executive Creative Director

Ben Spivak, Executive Producer

Mia Rockel, Creative Director, Illustrator

Sara Huneke, Creative Director

Amilcar Gomes, Creative Director

Tatiana Arocha, Illustrator

New York Public Radio

Peter Weingard, Chief Marketing Officer

Noreen O'Loughlin, VP Integrated Marketing

Chris Bannon, VP Content Development and Production

Theodora Kuslan, Senior Director of Marketing

Matt Abramovitz, Program Director

Credits
Eyeball

Limore Shur, Executive Creative Director

Alex Moulton, Executive Creative Director

TJ McCormick, Executive Creative Director

Ben Spivak, Executive Producer

Mia Rockel, Creative Director, Illustrator

Sara Huneke, Creative Director

Amilcar Gomes, Creative Director

Tatiana Arocha, Illustrator

New York Public Radio

Peter Weingard, Chief Marketing Officer

Noreen O'Loughlin, VP Integrated Marketing

Chris Bannon, VP Content Development and Production

Theodora Kuslan, Senior Director of Marketing

Matt Abramovitz, Program Director

Credits
Eyeball

Limore Shur, Executive Creative Director

Alex Moulton, Executive Creative Director

TJ McCormick, Executive Creative Director

Ben Spivak, Executive Producer

Mia Rockel, Creative Director, Illustrator

Sara Huneke, Creative Director

Amilcar Gomes, Creative Director

Tatiana Arocha, Illustrator

New York Public Radio

Peter Weingard, Chief Marketing Officer

Noreen O'Loughlin, VP Integrated Marketing

Chris Bannon, VP Content Development and Production

Theodora Kuslan, Senior Director of Marketing

Matt Abramovitz, Program Director