San Francisco, March 1, 2024—Iris, the global creative agency, has been appointed by the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) as their Activation and Engagement Agency. Iris’ efforts will focus on activations and experiences that will help the Seattle-based not-for-profit organization bring exhibits to life in a way that will impact the world, rather than merely reflect it. The first activation of the year will debut at Emerald City Comic Con from February 29 to March 3, showcasing the history and impact that video games have had in pop culture.
Iris was appointed following a competitive pitch process involving several undisclosed agencies, in a move that solidifies the ongoing partnership. MoPOP is dedicated to highlighting contemporary popular culture—from music to entertainment to sports, and everything in between. The series of projects that Iris is tasked with will showcase stories and histories from pop culture that are not typically embraced by museums.
The goal of the Emerald City Comic Con activation is to educate event attendees about the power of pop culture, and drive museum attendance for the opening of MoPOP’s upcoming exhibit Massive: The Power of Pop Culture. For the event, Iris created an immersive booth dedicated to the history and impact of video games. This included a massive gaming controller timeline, photo booth backdrop, and battle of the couch gaming zone.
MoPOP’s booth showcasing the evolution of the gaming controller through time.
Event attendees enjoy the battle of the couch gaming zone.
“MoPOP is on a mission to inspire and connect communities through life-changing creative expression—and that’s something we’re totally aligned with at Iris,” said Mike Giger, Managing Director at Iris San Francisco, “Building upon our work with MoPOP in 2023, this collaboration celebrates how the power of pop culture and video games has created a sense of community and inspired creators.”
Looking ahead, Iris will create spaces to connect and inspire MoPOP’s communities in distinct and memorable ways, harnessing the power of people and amplifying creative executions through owned and earned media. Through each activation, Iris will continue to ensure that MoPOP maintains relevance in culture, while working alongside fellow agencies Pollinate and Scout Lab to elevate MoPOP’s brand.
“We chose Iris because they’re distinctly tapped into culture and know they are the exact right partner for us to continue our activation and engagement work with throughout 2024,” said Michele Smith, CEO of MoPOP. “Iris understands how to engage communities and drive participation and will ensure that we’re able to bring each of our forthcoming exhibits to life in a meaningful and impactful way.”
Rebranded as in 2016, MoPOP was founded in 2000 as the Experience Music Project and Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame (EMP|SFM). Since its start, the museum has organized dozens of exhibits, several of which have toured across the U.S. as well as internationally.
