The Dalí Museum Staring Contest

Objective

The Dalí Museum launched a digital campaign to drive engagement and museum visitation around its Andy Warhol exhibition (January–April 2014). The campaign aimed to blend the museum's surrealist identity with interactive entertainment, appealing to digital-native audiences and creating buzz through an unconventional mobile experience.

Solution

Goodby Silverstein & Partners created an iOS app that gamified the classic staring contest by allowing users to compete against Dalí, Andy Warhol, and other characters through their iPhone's front-facing camera. Players attempted to maintain unbroken eye contact without blinking while the app's still-image opponents would distract with subtle animations (such as Dalí's famous moustache twitching). The experience was promoted through a 30-second video ad, a two-hour promotional video spoof, and physical mirror decals in museum restrooms bearing the tagline 'You vs. You'.

Results

Not published.