The Stedelijk art museum has always been the modern art museum locals recommend to visitors. That’s something that KesselsKramer knew. It doesn’t mean, though, that the museum is without competition. Amsterdam is full of museums and cultural attractions. International tourists and Dutch day-trippers visiting the city have plenty of choice, but limited time and increasingly tighter budgets.

The Stedelijk art museum had to make sure it was the first – the essential – visit. KesselsKramer used its local knowledge to give it that edge. The campaign turns the top locals’ tips into handwritten practical directions to the gallery throughout Amsterdam, appearing in Schipol, stations, hotels, cafés and more – all guiding visitors towards the museum. Because for Amsterdammers*, the Stedelijk is their Stedelijk — and for generations, the place to experience modern art that changes the way you see the world. 

“When you’re visiting a city, there’s nothing more valuable than a recommendation from a local,” stated Gijs van den Berg, creative director at KesselsKramer. “We translated that insight directly into a campaign that helps people make a choice at the moment it matters most.” By combining the campaign claim with handwritten advice — symbolising a local Amsterdammer sharing tips for the best places in their city — the campaign becomes a personal recommendation for a place you simply shouldn’t miss. The visual identity is direct, quirky and unmistakably Amsterdam.

“We’re responding to the need both Dutch day-trippers and international visitors have for confidence in their choices,” stated Darija Kalkan, head of marketing communications at the Stedelijk. “By combining local recommendations with visibility at key decision-making moments throughout the city, we’re not only guiding people to the museum, we’re also encouraging them to actually visit it.”

The concept goes hand in hand with the media strategy. The message, presented as personal recommendations, changes depending on the location in which it appears, turning each execution into an actual set of directions. The campaign appears wherever visitors arrive and make choices – from Schiphol Airport arrivals and train stations, to the streets leading toward the museum, online, in hotels and hospitality venues.

In addition to location-specific out-of-home advertising, the campaign includes digital ads targeting international visitors and day-trippers. Through guerrilla marketing, such as beer coasters in local cafés, the message also appears in popular hospitality venues across the city.