projects
OF CONNECTION
Practice Interdisciplinarity
2023
Merchandise | Communication Strategy | Research
mentored by
Claire Reynolds and Safak Korkut
Claire Reynolds and Safak Korkut
collaborated with
Roshni Vinesh, Luca Flück, Luca Supper
for research and strategy
Anne-Sophie Schmidt
Roshni Vinesh, Luca Flück, Luca Supper
for research and strategy
Anne-Sophie Schmidt
for research, strategy and visuals
THE FRUITS
OF CONNECTION
a communication project for the Jewish Museum of Switzerland
OF CONNECTION
a communication project for the Jewish Museum of Switzerland
In collaboration with the FHNW’s Business Master Program we created a communication campaign aimed at enhancing the visibility of the Jewish Museum of Switzerland. After extensive research, including stakeholder interviews, marketing analysis, and consideration of the political climate, we focused mostly on merchandise and third-party collaborations as key touchpoints.
The visuals and merchandise, particularly eye-catching tote bags, serve as a playful and accessible entry point into Jewish culture, counteracting the automatic - and often only - association of Jewish Museums with the holocaust.
Inspired by the Seven Species from the Hebrew Bible, the fruit-themed designs create cross-cultural connections while maintaining a subtle link to Jewish heritage. The questions on the bags aim at evoking curiosity for the less known cultural and religious aspects of Judaism and Jewish Culture, that can be discovered in the Jewish Museum of Switzerland.
The visuals and merchandise, particularly eye-catching tote bags, serve as a playful and accessible entry point into Jewish culture, counteracting the automatic - and often only - association of Jewish Museums with the holocaust.
Inspired by the Seven Species from the Hebrew Bible, the fruit-themed designs create cross-cultural connections while maintaining a subtle link to Jewish heritage. The questions on the bags aim at evoking curiosity for the less known cultural and religious aspects of Judaism and Jewish Culture, that can be discovered in the Jewish Museum of Switzerland.
The pomegranate is one of the seven sacred fruits in Judaism, known as the "Shivat Haminim." In Jewish tradition, a perfect pomegranate is said to contain 613 seeds, corresponding to the number of commandments in the Torah.
This red-yellow fruit holds deep symbolic meaning in many other religions and cultures as well. In Greek mythology, the pomegranate plays an important role in several myths. For example, it appears in the story where Paris presents Aphrodite with a pomegranate, thereby choosing her as the most beautiful among the three goddesses Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite.
Furthermore, the pomegranate has long been considered a superfruit. Apples in general were believed by the Olympian gods to have rejuvenating properties.
The fig tree is one of the seven sacred fruits in Judaism, known as the "Shivat Haminim." The fig is also one of the oldest cultivated plants in human history. It is therefore not surprising that it also appears in the story of paradise, where its leaves serve Adam and Eve to cover their bodies.
From a cultural-historical perspective, the fig tree is often associated with fertility, seduction, and prosperity. In ancient Greece and Rome, it was attributed to both Dionysus, the god of revelry, and Priapus, the god of fertility.
In other cultures, olives carry different cultural, religious, and culinary meanings. In Christianity, for example, they symbolize peace, while in Islam, they are considered to have health-promoting properties. In Greek mythology, olives are closely linked to the goddess Athena. In a competition for the patronage of Athens, Athena gifted the city an olive tree, symbolizing peace, prosperity, and resources. The olive tree became a sacred symbol, and Athena was honored as the patron goddess of Athens.