By Jonathan Ochart, Founder & CEO of The Postcard Agency

 

Do you remember the first souvenir you took home after a museum visit? Perhaps it was a miniature replica of a sculpture that caught your eye, a book you read over and over again to relive a life-changing experience, or a postcard you couldn’t wait to send to a friend.

While I can’t remember my first souvenir, I do remember some of my childhood favorites: a notebook from the Alhambra in Granada, Spain, where I sketched centuries-old structures that were too beautiful to put into words; My Little Louvre, a picture book that explained the museum’s masterpieces in children’s terms; and a chunk of salt from the Salzburg salt mines, a jaw-dropping adventure I still remember to this day.

I was lucky to live abroad as the son of a U.S. Army soldier, and even luckier to have parents who took us to museums and cultural institutions whenever we ventured off to new cities and countries. Little did I know that the items we took home with us were more than simple souvenirs. They also funded the museums and spaces we enjoyed so much, and the local artists and small businesses around them.

Looking back on the items many of us have gifted and collected throughout the years, “More Than a Souvenir” is a fitting theme for Museum Store Sunday’s 2025 campaign. “More Than a Souvenir” will guide the creative direction we’ll take as we design, write, and share content that communicates the many benefits of shopping at museum stores to consumers around the globe.

The Manifesto

When you shop at a museum store, you’re not just taking something home. You’re keeping something alive: An artist’s craft, a museum’s mission, and a community’s culture.

Every item in a museum store has a story and a purpose beyond the shelf. More than a souvenir, the items people find at museum stores are part of a larger story they help tell, too.

This season, we invite consumers to shop with intention. We invite them to shop where every purchase gives back in more ways than one.

A Museum Store Sunday to Remember

We’ll bring this campaign to life through dynamic content and collaborations with local artists, celebrities, influencers, and shoppers all year round—and we’re so glad many of you will be a part of it. Here’s what’s ahead for Museum Store Sunday this year:

Campaign Creative Elements
Designed to Shine

Newly designed campaign creative elements, such as social media templates, profile banners, email signatures, and in-store posters, tell the Museum Store Sunday story in a clear, compelling manner. Shapes representing handmade items like jewelry, toys, and cooking utensils convey the unique gifts shoppers can find at museum stores, while Museum Store Sunday’s signature blue, white, and yellow color palette contributes to a strong, recognizable brand identity across marketing platforms.

Content Marketing Strategy
Gift Guides & Artist Features Galore

We’re thrilled to introduce Museum Store Sunday’s new blog, which is already home to a number of gift guides and artist features. The Mother’s Day, Dads & Grads, and Summer Arts & Crafts guides present a wide range of locally made gift ideas from museum stores across the country, while artist features give readers a chance to meet the makers behind one-of-a-kind gifts made right here in the U.S. Make sure to read our interview with Henry Zunino to learn how he creates Van Gogh-inspired chocolate bars for the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

While storytelling is at the heart of the new blog, it also serves an important marketing purpose powered by a carefully executed search engine optimization strategy: Establishing museumstoresunday.org as the go-to destination for shoppers searching online for unique gifts near them.

Social Media Campaigns
Engaging Audiences Well in Advance

We launched Museum Store Sunday’s social media campaign early this year to reach more audiences and introduce them to the magic of shopping at museum stores. Posts and videos celebrate the importance of shopping locally, in addition to highlighting participating stores and their gift ideas.

Celebrity Spokesperson & Influencer Collaborations
Reaching for the Stars

Last year, we collaborated with Taylor Tomlinson at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame museum store to reach and engage hundreds of thousands of new audiences. Building on that momentum, we’re actively evaluating options for this year’s celebrity spokesperson. Stay tuned for exciting updates.

We’re also identifying dozens of influencers to support the campaign in target markets across the country. They will develop and share unique content introducing Museum Store Sunday to millions of followers.

National Public Relations Campaign
Earning Millions of Media Impressions

A national PR campaign supported by targeted campaigns in key metro areas will earn interview opportunities and media placements for museum stores across the U.S. Last year, our efforts led to product and museum store features in The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, U.S. News & World Report, Thrillist, and dozens of local ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, NPR, and PBS stations. We’re already building on that momentum this year by pitching gift ideas for holidays and events leading up to November 30, such as Hispanic Heritage Month and Halloween.

National Advertising Campaign
Here. There. Everywhere.

Last but not least, we’ll be launching a national digital advertising campaign leading up to Museum Store Sunday. Ads will appear on shoppers’ favorite sites across digital platforms, encouraging them to find participating stores near them and make plans for the big day.

The Story is Just Beginning

While “More Than a Souvenir” represents this year’s campaign theme and marketing efforts, it’s important to note that “Shop with Purpose” remains Museum Store Sunday’s official tagline. Introduced in 2024, “Shop with Purpose” effortlessly communicates the importance of shopping at museum stores, and you’ll see the tagline across Museum Store Sunday’s marketing materials.

We might be celebrating Museum Store Sunday earlier than usual, but November 30 will be here before we know it. Let’s make it a Museum Store Sunday worth a souvenir of its own!

Museum Stores can learn more about participating in Museum Store Sunday at no cost by following the link HERE.

 

Jonathan Ochart is the Founder and CEO of The Postcard Agency. Jonathan leads, plans and executes creative and business-driven marketing and public relations strategies to help brands achieve key objectives, including building awareness, informing and engaging target audiences, generating leads and converting prospects into customers.