If marketing is the meeting of art and business, what better place to find inspiration and activation than at one of the premier global art shows?
Last week, thousands of people converged on the shores of Miami Beach for the Miami International Art Show, a.k.a Art Basel Miami to view works from modern and contemporary artists from five continents, conversations and panels with cultural figures and leaders (including Brand Innovators’ Leadership Roundtable) and innovative brand activations and partnerships.
Among the official sponsors of Art Basel Miami, Lufthansa offered attendees tips about the host city through a Spotify podcast, “Lufthansa Insights,” an audio travel guide offering tips and information about Miami for sports fans, foodies, history buffs, and, of course, art lovers.
Longtime global lead partner UBS staged an impressive presentation titled “Threads,” which included works from the company’s extensive art collection, along with a newly commissioned work from Sagarika Sundaram. All of the pieces highlighted artists who take an innovative approach to textile and craft-based art. Sundaram’s piece, “Released Form,” was the artist’s largest to date and was made from hand-dyed wool and silk.
Sotheby’s International continued its sponsorship of the event for the second year by celebrating the convergence of art and architecture as a reflection of the spirit of the brand’s “1 of 1” brand advertising campaign. During the show, Sotheby’s exhibited a curated selection of unique homes around the world through an exclusive VIP area for the event’s “high-net-worth VIP guests.”
“Sotheby’s International Realty is honored to support Art Basel Miami Beach for a second year,” said Brad Nelson, CMO of Sotheby’s International Realty, in a release. “Our commitment to fostering relationships with collectors of both art and trophy properties remains at the forefront.”
Also in its second year of activating at the Miami event, the Hong Kong Tourism Board set up a “Cha Chaan Teng” pop-up cafe to show off the city’s status as a premier art and cultural destination. Through the cafe, attendees got a taste of Hong Kong’s traditional cafe culture and cuisine, with pineapple buns, egg tarts and milk tea. The space also included a new art installation from multimedia artist Mak2 that integrated physical and digital elements to reflect Hong Kong’s captivating spirit. The activation was designed to pique interest in the upcoming Art Basel Hong Kong event scheduled for March 28-30, 2025.
It wasn’t just sponsoring companies that made appearances at the event, however. Gaming brand Sega partnered with international artist Romero Britto to introduce artwork inspired by the company’s popular Sonic the Hedgehog gaming character (and in conjunction with the third Sonic the Hedgehog movie coming out later this year). The art was featured in a pop-up shop near the Miami Convention Center, and the artwork was also depicted on consumer goods, including figurines, t-shirts, hats, keychains, pins and more. The fine art, collectibles, accessories and apparel will be available for purchase in 2025.
E.l.f. Beauty took the opportunity to debut the latest episode of its Show Your(s)e.l.f. Film series at the Tribeca Festival at Art Basel Miami Beach. The episode featured bionic pop artist Viktoria Modesta and told the story of the journey of her choice to have her leg amputated due to a congenital leg condition. The choice led her to an artist’s perspective through which she challenges societal norms and uses a prosthetic leg as a symbol of self-expression and limitless potential.
Chase Sapphire Reserve also got into the show, giving cardholders exclusive access to some events and experiences, including the SCOPE Art Show and Chase Sapphire Reserve Lounge and Faena Opening Night Party with Fatboy Slim, through its Ultimate Rewards platform.
Ikea brought back its “Sleepeasy” pop-up that showcased six so-called sleep essentials – comfort, light, temperature, sound, air quality and decluttering – through hands-on installations. The activation also included the launch of the brand’s second “IKEA Style Guide”for 2025, highlighting two distinct styles “Moody Modernism” and “Sunny Scandinavian.”
Owing to the holiday-adjacent timing, Gucci used the event to unveil a massive snow-globe installation that will remain up through January 7. The piece includes a tribute to the brand’s founder Guccio Gucci, who attributed his time as a porter at London’s Savoy Hotel as the spark for his passion for high-quality luggage, as well as nods to other parts of the brand’s storied history.
Lexus, meanwhile, collaborated with design and research studio Crafting Plastics to develop an interactive, multi-sensory installation in the sculpture garden of the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami. The installation, titled Liminal Cycles, was inspired by Lexus’s LF-ZC Battery Electric Vehicle concept car and is made from environmentally responsive bioplastic materials. To accompany the installation, Lexus also debuted a product extension in partnership with clean fragrance brand dilo.
