Apollo 50: How one museum celebrated the first Moon landing

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Abstract: The 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing in July 2019 was an opportunity for the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum to position itself not just as an inspiring and exciting institution but also a leading resource for aerospace knowledge. This article describes the museum’s Apollo 50 social media campaign, which saw engagement and follower numbers grow at a rate more ten times the museum’s average. It explores the strategies driving the campaign, how the museum wrangled a vast amount of content, activities and information into a strategic and cohesive campaign, and the role of social media in sharing the museum’s site-specific Apollo 50 activities with a global audience.

Keywords: museum, social media, content marketing, digital campaign, case study

Amy Stamm is a public affairs specialist at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum. Her work includes communications strategy, digital projects, speechwriting, media relations and marketing. Managing the museum’s digital content calendar, she runs the museum’s social media platforms, writes and edits blogs, and leads other digital initiatives. Amy has a master’s degree in public relations and corporate communications from Georgetown University and a bachelor’s degree in strategic communications from High Point University.