Title | THE UNKNOWN FACE |
Brand | HISTORIAL DE LA GRANDE GUERRE PÉRONNE |
Product/Service | ART INSTALLATION AND A WEBSITE |
Category |
C01. Use of Social/ Digital Platforms |
Entrant
|
FF PARIS, FRANCE
|
Idea Creation
|
FF PARIS, FRANCE
|
Production
|
MERCI-MICHEL Paris, FRANCE
|
Credits
Hervé François |
Historial de la Grande Guerre |
Directeur du musée l'Historial de la Grande Guerre |
Nathalie Clin |
Historial de la Grande Guerre |
Responsable Service « Accueil des Publics » et « Médiateurs-Guides » |
Fred & Farid Fred & Farid |
FF |
Founders / CEO |
Olivier Lefebvre |
FF |
CEO - Partner |
Etienne Renaux |
FF |
Creative Director |
François Claux |
FF |
Art Director |
Yann Rougeron |
FF |
Art Director |
Camille Sainson |
FF |
Art Director |
Emilien Point |
FF |
Art Director |
Sonia Dos Santos |
FF |
Art Director |
Julien Beuvry |
FF |
Art Director |
Lucia Otero |
FF |
Assistant Art director |
François Claux |
FF |
Copywriter |
Yann Rougeron |
FF |
Copywriter |
Camille Sainson |
FF |
Copywriter |
Emilien Point |
FF |
Copywriter |
Sonia Dos Santos |
FF |
Copywriter |
Julien Beuvry |
FF |
Copywriter |
Leslie Hatchwell |
FF |
Account |
Caroline Tang |
FF |
Digital art director |
Johanna Mangote |
FF |
Event art director |
Jim Tran |
FF |
Head of production |
Arthur Gaudrie |
FF |
Chief technical officer |
Marie Séjournant |
FF |
Social media strategist |
Why is this work relevant for Direct?
We developed a digital plateforme associated to an algorithm technology. This technology allowed us to recompose missing parts of several photographs in order to match them to the rest of the pictures. We also made sure that the portrait would not go under any retouching or post-production altering phase, so as to crystallize its raw emotion like a real artwork. We met an unbelievable challenge, as it is difficult to link the Unknown Face to a specific nationality or local origin.
Background
In 2018, the Historial of the Great War at Péronne, wanted to set up a major project around the theme of ‘Peace to fight’, 100 years after the signing of the Armistice, on November the 11th of 1918, against all current geopolitical tensions.
At a time when extremism and nationalism are plaguing the whole world, the younger generations must never forget past mistakes so as not to reproduce them in the future.
Describe the creative idea (30% of vote)
In the aftermath of World War I, France buried the tomb of an Unknown Soldier under the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. This national military monument is dedicated to the memory of all fallen soldiers during the Great War.
100 years later, we made this symbol of War, a universal symbol of Peace for the younger generations by giving a face to the Unknown Soldier. A face composed of 30,000 men, women, soldiers, nurses or civilians, winners and losers, regardless of their nationality or their origins: the Unknown Face.
This face took the form of an interactive and digital work permanently exhibited in the galleries of the Historial.
Describe the strategy (20% of vote)
Our goal was to create a project which would draw the attention of a disinterested younger generation and public opinion through a contextual and technological approach.
Launched in France in November 2018, the Unknown Face was conceptualized to move people internationally and especially in the countries who participated in WWI. We made sure to collaborate with historians, collectors and specialists for our project in order to give more strength to our message.
For our campaign to become viral, we asked the French President to inaugurate the work the greatest influencers and specialists of History in France by his side.
In parallel, we unveiled a dedicated digital device on which the public could discover the behind the scenes of the creation of this project, as well as a more educational part highlighting 40 authentic stories of men and women who have taken part in the great war and have atypical destinies.
Describe the execution (20% of vote)
10 months were needed to give life to this colossal project combining technology and the duty of remembrance. To manage collecting more than 30.000 portraits, we were able to count on the help of museums, historians, collectors and archives from all around the world.
The Unknown Face is the authentic result of our algorithm. We made sure that the portrait would not go under any retouching or post production altering phase, so as to crystallize its raw emotion like a real artwork. We met an unbelievable challenge, as it is difficult to link the Unknown Face to a specific nationality or local origin.
The algorithm developed to create “The Unknown Face” allows the project to keep evolving, as new archives and portraits can be collected. The digital platform helped the general public discover how the project came to existence.
List the results (30% of vote)
As soon as it was launched, the “Unknown Face” was met by praise from the global media and public opinion: a very wide media coverage with more than 120 national and international press covers. In total, we reached more than 700 million people.
Thanks to the project’s success, visits of the museum rose by 47% in November 2018.
35% of their new public came from younger generations who spent 4 minutes on average watching the Unknown Face and its portraits. The most impressive reaction was the