Thirty Three responsible for recruiting Tate's runners

by Jacquie Bowser Brand Republic 02-Jul-08, 12:25

LONDON - Communications agency ThirtyThree has revealed it was responsible for finding the amateur runners that are part of Tate Britain's latest headline-grabbing installation by British artist Martin Creed.

Creed is sending sprinters racing through the 86m long space, one at a time at thirty second intervals, for the next four months in his effort to demonstrate "the purest expression of human vitality".

The new installation was unveiled in the London building on Monday.

ThirtyThree was commissioned by Tate Britain to undertake a covert operation to recruit each amateur runner in May 2008, all while maintaining the anonymity of the artist and the nature of the installation.

The Bristol-based agency targeted art students and sports science undergraduates in and around the capital via a direct marketing campaign. It sent out emails to the student body, posting ads on student jobsites and distributing flyers and posters to student unions.

Ads were also distributed to running clubs and art enthusiast community clubs.

The agency created a dedicated microsite for the venture, which provided additional information to candidates and links to Tate Britain's application form.

Andy Bamford, managing director of ThirtyThree, said: "The intrinsic nature of the recruitment campaign made this a completely unique task -- and certainly a very interesting one.

"It allowed us to stretch our ingenuity in attracting suitable candidates and we're delighted that it has been a success. We hope that the people will continue to register their interests in taking part now that the installation is live and generating such discussion in art circles."

Tate Britain will be continuing to recruit more candidates for the installation through its microsite.