The Blue-Sky Mausoleum of Frank Lloyd Wright
International Publicity and Marketing
In 1925, Frank Lloyd Wright designed a family mausoleum for his patron, Darwin D. Martin, of Buffalo, New York. Before the mausoleum could be built, the Depression stripped Martin of his wealth, and the plans sat untouched for more than 70 years. In December 2003, The Forest Lawn Group asked me to help “brainstorm” ways to market the revived Blue-Sky Mausoleum project.
Forest Lawn’s purpose in building the Blue-Sky was twofold: it wanted to increase its endowment, which is vital to the continued maintenance of the cemeteries, while also raising Forest Lawn’s stature. Given the widespread adoration of Frank Lloyd Wright and his work, the announcement of a newly constructed Wright design was sure to attract attention. But Forest Lawn needed to turn this international attention into paying customers — and given their location in the heart of America’s Rust Belt, the challenge was obvious.
Photography at the Rock of Ages facility
I started on the project before the mausoleum construction began, so there was nothing to use for imagery other than a few archival drawings. One of the first items of business was to start a digital image library for publicity and public relations. To this end, I arranged to photograph Blue Sky’s stone being finished by the craftspeople at the Rock of Ages Granite Quarry in Barre, Vermont. By combining various elements digitally, I was able to create the illusion of an actual mausoleum, while at the same time not revealing the entire structure. This mystery allowed the publicity and marketing materials to pique the public’s interest without “giving away the show.”
Identity for the Blue Sky Mausoleum
These preliminary images were used to create an identity for the Blue-Sky itself. With upscale stationery and business cards, Forest Lawn’s Private Client Group could begin to field inquires. A website and direct mail campaign followed shortly thereafter. Our plan called for a direct mail campaign to a hand-combed list of proven arts patrons, the architectural press, and wealthy individuals of interest. These mailings were staggered, so that interest could be gauged against website traffic, and the lists could be adjusted as we went along. Our plan called for each inquiry to be responded to with a brochure and personal sales call.
Concurrently, an international publicity effort got underway. Press kits were sent world-wide, pointing people to our media center website containing high-resolution photographs, drawings, and PDFs of interviews and fact sheets. This made the journalist’s job much easier — and helped place the Blue Sky story in The New York Times (twice), The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Time, Metropolis, ID, the Robb Report, and many other newspapers and magazines. CBS News and CNN both covered the unveiling, and the Blue-Sky was featured as one of the top 100 design events of 2004 by Metropolitan Home.
Blue Sky Mausoleum public relations website
After the unveiling of the Blue-Sky Mausoleum in October 2004, I began photographing and designing a coffee table book about the project. This book was released in the spring of 2005, timed to garner another round of publicity for the project.
Blue Sky Mausoleum book dust jacket
To date, interest and sales have been on schedule, with many inquires coming from outside the Buffalo region. There is a greater awareness of Forest Lawn Cemetery overall, and with it, an increase in customers at all price levels. In addition, tourists are returning to Forest Lawn, new jobs have been created, and the entire community is undergoing a revitalization.
Frankly, the Blue-Sky Mausoleum project has such a long-term schedule that it is impossible to classify it as a success — yet. But early indications are that it will continue to raise the profile, and endowment, of the entire cemetery.