I took a well-deserved weekend trip to Amsterdam, and I was truly fascinated by the city. As a Marketing Executive, even when I take time off work, my creative mind is always looking for marketing inspiration, and whilst in Amsterdam I was not short of ideas. But before I delve into the iconic I amsterdam sculpture and how it’s been used as one the Netherland’s greatest marketing tools (part 2 coming soon!), let’s give you an update on the authentic city of Amsterdam and my favourite museum…
An overview of Amsterdam
Labelled as the cycling capital of Europe, and one of the most bike-friendly cities in the world, Amsterdam is one of those places that you just have to visit in your lifetime. In amongst the infamous red lights and coffee shops, is a truly beautiful and unique city, bursting with a treasure trove of historical buildings and wonderful museums. If that wasn’t enough, it’s also an amazing option for UK travellers looking for an accessible non-flight destination in Europe – with direct trains now available from London thanks to the Eurostar! Of course, we believe riding around by bike is the best way to soak it all up in this incredible place, and as the cycling culture is strong in Amsterdam, you’ll fit right in with the locals.
Although the Dutch government, Supreme Court and the Council of State are in The Hague, Amsterdam is widely regarded as the capital of The Netherlands. Home to a population of over 800,000, Amsterdam is the largest city in the country and has a thriving tourist scene, welcoming folk from across the globe. We think it’s fair to say that after reading this blog, you too will want to be visiting very soon.
My Favourite Museum in Amsterdam: Moco Museum
Amsterdam is home to several fascinating museums, and unsurprisingly, the most famous and most visited of them all is the Van Gogh Museum. Located just a short walk away from Vondelpark, the museum is home to over 200 paintings, 500 drawings and 750 documents, and gives visitors a brilliant overview and understanding of the life and work of Van Gogh. You can also find a collection of work from other artists who were influenced by the legend himself. To help convince the little ones, there are also art workshops for kids aged 6-12 available!
My favourite museum was the Moco Museum. It’s filled with modern, beautiful, and vibrant artwork. It houses all kinds of pieces representing contemporary art and its creators, which all builds up to a fun experience.
The museum opened to the public in April 2016 and has grown to be hugely popular for people visiting Amsterdam. Even if you aren’t a huge fan of museums, you’ll like Moco, as at times it doesn’t even feel like a museum at all!
The Moco Museum is a space with few permanent exhibitions, although exhibitions are installed for quite lengthy periods of time. Bear in mind that by the time of your visit, the exhibitions may have changed.
One of the biggest and most popular exhibitions at the Moco museum is the Banksy: Laugh Now exhibition. Moco has one of the largest collections of Banksy’s artwork, with over 90 original pieces on its walls! Banksy is a British street artist, known for his satirical comment on the state of the world, creating many sculptures and political pieces. His works of art are easy to follow and it’s very likely you’ve already seen some while out and about! The Moco Museum features some of his most iconic works – canvas work, sculptures, and even graffiti rescued from torn-down buildings.
This ode to street art features real Banksy pieces through the years and gives visitors an insight into the life and beliefs of the mysterious artist.
Some famous pieces that are included in the exhibition are Girl with Balloon, Kate Moss and Laugh Now. A truly poignant piece is that of a church boy praying, which is presented like a stained-glass window in the stairwell of the museum.
One of the coolest exhibitions in all of Amsterdam, aside from the Moco Museum, is the Studio Irma Reflecting Forward immersive light exhibition. The incredible experience is filled with colour, light and mirrors, and is all about connection and the future. What’s more, it makes for a great Instagram photo!
Whilst on the topic of Instagram and social media, at Dialogue, we keep up to speed with social media marketing trends. We offer marketing services like transcreation as well as other successful multimedia strategies such as subtitling. Check out this recent Octopus Inc campaign that we did the subtitling for:
