American Institute of Architects Executive Producer; engagement strategy & activation

Agency: GSD&M, Spence

Director: Jeff Durkin

Photographer: Keith Isaacs

In partnership with the American Institute of Architects (AIA), we launched a multi-year integrated campaign designed to reconnect the public with architecture and position architects as catalysts of growth and visionaries for renewal.

The campaign was anchored by short documentaries that kicked off each year's national Film Challenge. The first spotlighted Rural Studio — Auburn University's design-build program transforming western Alabama through community-centered design. The second told the story of Midtown Jackson, Mississippi, where a local firm worked alongside residents and community leaders to transform a struggling neighborhood into a model of healthy revitalization.

Each film launched the I Look Up Film Challenge — an open call inviting filmmakers and architects to team up and tell stories of architecture making a real impact on communities across the country.

The campaign integrated paid, owned, and earned media — generating organic buzz at every stage, building a library of original short films, and creating meaningful brand engagement by putting emerging talent at the center of the AIA's story.

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