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Black artists join Colossal, Lamar for behind scenes look at Black History Month campaign

Lamar, Colossal and BADG take Digital Signage Today inside the process of their Black History Month creative campaign, including a hand-painted Brooklyn mural and nationwide DOOH campaign.

"We want every Black creative who sees the artwork to feel seen and represented." — Black Artists and Designers Guild statement. Image courtesy of Lamar.

February 27, 2023

Lamar, a North American OOH firm, has partnered with Colossal (a media division of Lamar) and the Black Artists + Designers Guild in a its Black History Month campaign, which included a hand-painted mural in historic Williamsburg in Brooklyn, New York.

Featuring BADG's signature colors, representing common vegetal dyes in African textiles, the mural also features the BADG manifesto: "We are liberatory, celebratory, collaborative, community, active, activists." The mural was translated into digital format for a nationwide DOOH campaign on Lamar digital billboards.

Digital Signage Today reached out to all three organizations to learn more. We received statements from representatives, including Allie McAlpin, VP of marketing services and communications at Lamar; Katie Danforth, senior producer for creative services at Colossal, a media division of Lamar; and BADG responses coordinated with help from Tiffany Farney, PR consultant at Cordero Consulting.

Project Insights Q&A

The mural features the BADG colors, which represent traditional African textile dyes. Courtesy of Lamar.

Q: How did Lamar come to launch this historical campaign?

Lamar:Each February, during black History Month, we use our national digital billboard network to celebrate the accomplishments, contributions and culture of the African American community. Last year, we celebrated African American 'firsts' — individuals whose accomplishments were the first of its kind in their respective fields.

This year, we're proud to have teamed up with our Colossal division to create a beautiful hand-painted mural featuring a brilliant piece of artwork from the Black Artists + Designers Guild (BADG). We are also featuring the BADG artwork celebrating Black Imagination on our digital billboards across the country. We are proud to support BADG's mission and excited to share this impactful artwork in the hopes it will inspire creativity and deeper connections within our communities during Black History Month and in the future.

Q: Who painted the mural, and how long did it take?

Colossal:The mural took five days, including pouncing and drawing, with three painters on the wall. We also took about two days in pre-production, which includes tracing the digital creative, patterning the design and mixing the colors. Because there are so many highly-skilled Colossal employees involved from start to finish on every project, we choose not to single out just the painters and instead celebrate each mural as a collective achievement.

Q: What does this project say about the intersection of public art, commerce, social change and technology? Is emerging tech a threat or opportunity for art?

Colossal:We create public art every day and we have the privilege of seeing how doing so inspires passersby — people stop, reflect and appreciate the hard work put into something made-by-hand outdoors. Through Start Today, our murals elicit that same response but also raise awareness, encourage conversation and — hopefully — inspire positive social changes. Extending the message through digital channels not only bridges art and technology but amplifies the reach of the mural significantly. Knowing that the mural will also live in digital doesn't alter the process of creating the art. We can paint anything and we know what we paint will have an impact in person and on a screen. I see no risks in holograms, AI or any other emerging technology because beautiful creative can ultimately be amplified through tech if done right.

"Each format builds on an artwork's message and expands engagement to a broader audience." — BADG. Image courtesy of Lamar.

Q:The campaign uses a hybrid approach between traditional art and future-forward digital technology. What does this say about the power of art and messages across media, and do alternative media amplify or diminish artistic messages?

Colossal:As mentioned above, extending the message through digital channels bridges art and technology but results in substantial incremental reach for our place-based mural. We are honored to partner with our parent company Lamar to take Start Today from a localized effort in Brooklyn and LA to over 370 digital screens across the country!

BADG:BADG comprises multidisciplinary artists and designers in interior design, architecture, fine arts, textile and furniture design, so we understand the diversity of art in various mediums. Each format builds on an artwork's message and expands engagement to a broader audience. BADG was built on a digital platform. We know firsthand that sharing information through technology strengthens our mission to advance a community of Black makers, build inclusive and equitable spaces and invest in our ancestral futures.

Q:Can you tell us more about the meaning in the color palette and location selection?

BADG:Our work always connects to our heritage, with many of our cultural traditions rooted in our relationship with the environment. The color palette highlights BADG's signature colors: Cassava, Saffron, Plantain Root, Caribbean Blue, Logwood and Ochre. The colors are inspired by vegetal dyes used in African textiles. BADG intends for the mural to encourage deeper connection and collaboration with the Black creative community.

Colossal:Regarding the location, we wanted the mural to be in a prominent location and this particular corner of Williamsburg across from the park felt like a perfect home for this mural.

32 Berry Street in Williamsburg, home to Mirtex Trading Corp., has become a local landmark as a canvas for public art. Landlord Hadi Hajjar is a dedicated supporter of the arts, and has made his building home to the work of several famous contemporary muralists as well as previous Colossal work with the You Are Not Alone Murals project.

Q:What was the process like, especially for the artists, along with translating art into digital screens?

BADG:As a collective, we designed a mural highlighting our manifesto — "We are liberatory, celebratory, collaborative, community, active, activists" — central to our work and mission. These elements featured in the artwork, such as the silhouettes, are intended to represent any Black artists and designers who proudly embody our mission. We want every Black creative who sees the artwork to feel seen and represented. We want all those who view the mural to know every action taken to support our mission implies that one must collectively work together to face the future, advocating for equity for all Black creatives.

For the campaign, Lamar translated the hand-painted mural into digital format for DOOH broadcast. Image courtesy of Lamar.

Q: Can you tell us more about how this project came into being?

Lamar:Each February, during black History Month, we use our national digital billboard network to celebrate the accomplishments, contributions and culture of the African American community. Last year, we celebrated African American "firsts" — individuals whose accomplishments were the first of a kind in their respective fields.

This year, we're proud to have teamed up with our Colossal division to create a beautiful hand-painted mural featuring a brilliant piece of artwork from the Black Artists + Designers Guild (BADG). We are also featuring the BADG artwork celebrating Black Imagination on our digital billboards across the country. We are proud to support BADG's mission and excited to share this impactful artwork in the hopes it will inspire creativity and deeper connections within our communities during Black History Month and in the future.

Q:Is there a growing role for digital signage in art and culture?

Colossal:While our craft is analog — a mural — we do offer digital extensions and consult our clients on maximizing social reach through our in-house creative agency, Colossal Studios. Our team can produce content of the making of the mural and the larger story the client would like to tell. A painted mural captured by photo or video is perfect content for social media and our clients often take advantage of this engaging content we create. We can also paint functional QR codes on a mural which literally joins contemporary tech enablement with our traditional craftsmanship

Q:We've covered weatherproofing digital installations, but how do you weatherproof a hand-painted artwork like this mural?

Colossal:Lots of hard work, team work, grit and tenacity! Come swing by our shop to see the intricate steps involved in making a mural that is created and lives outdoors.

The campaign combines traditional, hand-painted mural format with fully digital for DOOH, marking an omnichannel approach to history, culture and the arts. Image courtesy of Lamar.