• by Larissa Faw , February 17, 2016

The Art Institute of Chicago and Airbnb have teamed up to build a replica of Van Gogh's famous "Bedroom in Arles" painting.

And they are renting out this installation and raising awareness for it and the Institute with the help of the Publicis Groupe network, specifically Leo Burnett (Creative+Strategy), Starcom (Airbnb’s Media AOR) and sibling media shop Spark, the Institute’s media planner and buyer.

"Van Gogh’s Bedroom is truly more than an exhibit. It’s an invitation to an immersive experience," says Dan Matarelli, VP/director, Spark SMG. "Our objective was to unlock the mystery and intrigue of Van Gogh’s life, inviting people to come to the Art Institute of Chicago to uncover the full story of who Van Gogh was -- not just as an artist, but a human."

The “Let Yourself In” campaign launched February 1^st across out-of-home, print, digital, social, and audio. Ads touting "Rooms for Rent" appear via Chicago Transit Authority bus shelters and allow viewers to text directly with Van Gogh, the artist.

These "Wild Posting" messages were intended to tease the exhibit opening, giving Chicagoans the chance to interact with the artist himself. And text messages from Van Gogh include showcasing his “room for rent,” a selfie, and promotion of the exhibit.

"As is often a challenge, media budgets are tight and this campaign was no exception. We had to be creative with the media, production and partners to bring Van Gogh’s paintings to life," says Matarelli.

This Airbnb build-out is the first of its kind at $10 a night in Chicago’s River North neighborhood plus tickets to the exhibit. The project runs through May 10.