Red Bull: the ideal power boost for languishing museums?

"If 1 person can prove that by collaborating with Red Bull, a sixteenth-century painting thins out or falls off the wall, I will stop working on it immediately." Edwin Jacobs, director of Centraal Museum Utrecht, opened his doors to the soft drink manufacturer. Under the title 'Art of Can', the museum is exhibiting artworks made from Red Bull cans. "Red Bull gives you wings, the Centraal Museum makes you float," he says.

"I knew from the first second that there is only one reason to do something with this party, and that is to appeal to an audience that has never been to the museum before." In addition, Jacobs set the condition of collaborating with two more cultural parties, fashion designer Bas Kosters and Boomerang Cards. Why, "I see parties in there that I don't bring in so easily, but if Red Bull calls, they are there." Red bull paid for the eventing. Posters, MTV, Valtifest, all the expressions that were done. They also paid for the museum night in Utrecht. "The DJs ... tutti, whatever you can think of."

The benefits for the Central Museum seem clear. A new, young audience enters the museum, free advertising and contacts are made with parties of interest for possible future collaboration. But there is also a downside. Not everyone is keen on a company being so openly displayed in a museum. Jacobs: "Sure, there are whole blogs about it. 'See, he's a rat, he's selling out.' But that's not true. Commerce and art can coexist."

The Red Bull brand operates on the philosophy of "giving wings to people and ideas". Spokesperson Maartje Kardol: "Art of Can is part of our brand philosophy in which we literally give wings and hope to support beautiful cultural projects and initiatives. The oldest urban museum in the Netherlands, the Centraal Museum in Utrecht is a very special museum and open to discovering something new. " However, this old, special museum was not Red Bull's first choice. Before coming to Utrecht, two museums in Amsterdam were polled, the Stedelijk Museum and the Amsterdam Museum. They said no.

As the Stedelijk Museum is only temporarily open during their renovations "we wanted to show purely our much-missed collection" says spokesperson Marie-José Raven. "So a Red Bull exhibition didn't fit into the programme anyway." But what if the museum had been fully open? Raven: "A concept like Red Bull's would not easily fit here."

The Amsterdam Museum did initially have an interest in appealing to new, younger audiences through Red Bull. However, they felt that the brand had too little connection with the museum. But above all, the museum is convinced that a partner should have a social responsibility. Director Paul Spies: "Sponsorship is never just about money. It is also about both parties agreeing on their objectives. A museum is a public institution, which contains citizens' money. Both partners need to take their social function seriously. Maybe I am too much of an idealist and a drammer, but I felt that Red Bull did not do that enough." Spies suggested linking the 'Art of Can' to the social project Creative Lab, together with Beehive. Red Bull would then be the flag bearer to attract attention, but was asked to commit to the social idea as a sponsor as well. They didn't want to. Spies: "The flat promotion of their brand was not enough for us. But to promote beyond their own brand, that went too far for them."

See here To hear more about Edwin Jacobs' vision.