13 June 2013

If Facebook had existed in 1914

Léon Vivien's diary on Facebook

Facebook 1914 is an excellent example of how Social Networks can help in boosting Cultural Heritage institutions to gain public’s attention with a very little financial effort.

The Musee de la Grande Guerre (Museum of the Great War) of Pays de Meaux documented the life of a soldier during the First World War as if Facebook existed at that time.

Just as stated by Daniel Pletincx during the last CreativeCH’s workshop, mixing fiction with historical facts can help cultural instutions to gain interest and appeal - as long as this format doesn’t give up to historic truth.

Facebook 1914 narrates the tale of Léon Vivien, a young teacher is enlisted into the French Army at the beginning of the war. He leaves behind his pregnant young woman and all his life, to join the infamous Great War’s trenches, and hold his (virtual) diary, as if social networks had existed 100 years ago.

The project helped the Musee de la Grande Guerre to engage very effectively more than 50.000 users just in the first couple of weeks from its launch.
Thanks to the innovation which they bring to history divulgation, they attract massive media attention, which multiply effectively the effect of this museum’s campaign.

The project embrace one year of History, told as a human story thanks to the Facebook’s diary, with 8 months of posts uploaded ahead of project’s launch and more than two months of daily live posting from Museum.

The posting was enriched with digitised material owned by the Museum, which ensured a truly, immersive experience in the life of a soldier one century ago.

Stefano Sbarbati

Facebook 1914 - Case Study from CampaignsOnline on Vimeo.