The Art Of The Met's Digital Storytelling
For over a century, The Metropolitan Museum of Art has stood as a symbol of cultural authority, curating over 5,000 years of art and history. But in today's digital-first world, relevance requires more than preservation — it demands participation. And right now, that participation is happening on TikTok. By leaning into digital storytelling early, The Met positioned itself as a cultural leader online, using creative formats to captivate audiences and connect its rich history to the present.
The Magic of The Met Gala
More than a glamorous red carpet, the Met Gala marks the opening of the Costume Institute's annual spring exhibition. This year, the exhibit "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" set the tone for both the gallery's and the Gala's theme. The event became a cultural catalyst, with #metgala generating over 937.2K TikTok posts and sparking months of conversation around Black style, culture, and identity. By leaning into TikTok, The Met is creating space for new voices, new narratives, and a broader cultural dialogue. Year after year, it transforms a single night into a worldwide conversation about fashion, culture, and the power of art to inspire.
Now that the iconic night has passed, let's explore The Met's digital evolution, and the strategy that has turned a historic institution into a dynamic, global storyteller.
2025 Theme
The 2025 Met Gala placed Black excellence in fashion at the forefront. This year's spring exhibition, Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, explored the pivotal role of sartorial expression in shaping Black identity and culture. The event brought together a powerhouse group of co-chairs — Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky, Pharrell Williams, and Anna Wintour — with LeBron James serving as honorary chair. A diverse Host Committee further reflected the theme's celebration of individuality and influence. The dress code, Tailored for You, paid tribute to the exhibition's focus on suiting and menswear.
Building Hype for This Year's Event
The Met's compelling TikTok presence isn't accidental. It's a masterclass in digital storytelling, designed to engage a global audience through diverse formats. Key approaches include:
Through its focus on rich storytelling, educational content, and high-quality formats, The Met effectively maintains its authority as a key cultural institution while increasing its relevance by tapping into the energy of the fashion zeitgeist in the digital space.
Creators Amplify Anticipation
The Met's official TikTok account provides expert insights and historical context, but much of the Met Gala excitement is fueled by TikTok's creator community through content such as:
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is rewriting the playbook on cultural relevance. By embracing platforms like TikTok and others, it has transformed The Met Gala from a one-night event into a months-long digital conversation. TikTok, in turn, has become the virtual red carpet — a global stage where creators, commentators, and fans engage in real time. But The Met Gala is just one part of a broader strategy. The Met is using digital platforms to democratize culture, foster deeper engagement, and make art and fashion more accessible to audiences everywhere — staying part of the cultural conversation long after the red carpet is rolled up.
To learn more about building a digital-first event strategy, visit TikTok's Publisher Insights Hub.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Vogue
20 minutes ago
- Vogue
Kylie Jenner Gets Real About Her Breast Augmentation—Down To The Implant Size
Of all the things I expected to read on the internet today, it wasn't Kylie Jenner detailing (down to the implant size) her breast augmentation. The plastic surgery transparency was all in response to a video posted by YouTuber and TikTok user @rachleary, pleading for the youngest KarJen sibling to share her surgery details. 'Please can you just tell me/us/anyone that's interested, what it is you asked for when you had your boobs done?' Leary asked, explaining that she didn't expect Jenner to share the surgeon but would love to know what exactly the surgeon did. 'I feel like you've been quite open about having your boobs done,' Leary continues, outlining that she 'd like to know about the style of implant ('teardrop' or 'high profile') but also the placement (under or over the muscle). 'Can you just share what it is you have had?' she pleads, caveating that she feels that it's important not to speculate and would prefer to ask Jenner directly. TikTok content This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from. In a stunning turn of events, Jenner responded, commenting: '445 cc, moderate profile, half under the muscle!!!!! silicone!!! garth fisher!!! hope this helps lol.' Had Kris Jenner not shared just this month who the surgeon behind her recent facelift was, the transparency would seem unimaginable. Confirmed by People, New York-based aesthetic and reconstructive surgeon Dr Steven Levine performed Jenner's recently debuted work. This isn't the first time Jenner (Kylie) has been open about her breast augmentation, though. In 2023, during an episode of The Kardashians, she admitted to the surgery during a conversation with a friend: 'I had beautiful breasts [before giving birth to her first child, Stormi]. Natural tits. Just gorgeous. Perfect size, perfect everything,' she said. 'And I just wish, obviously, I never got them done to begin with.' Whatever your perspective on sharing details of plastic surgery, there is something heartwarming about Jenner sharing her own experience, especially considering how desperately Leary wanted to know. Celebrities, (maybe) they're just like us.
News24
an hour ago
- News24
Three thrilling mystery novels you can sink your teeth into
Be among those who shape the future with knowledge. Uncover exclusive stories that captivate your mind and heart with our FREE 14-day subscription trial. Dive into a world of inspiration, learning, and empowerment. You can only trial once. Start your FREE trial now
Boston Globe
an hour ago
- Boston Globe
In 2025, the scandal at the center of ‘Mrs. Warren's Profession' lands differently
David R. Gammons's spare set is dominated by an oversized conference room table beneath a screen with mysterious flashing numbers and charts. The whole thing suggests an awkward marriage of the intellectual compartmentalization of the characters from ' Advertisement Within the sterile boardroom environment, we meet Vivie Warren (Luz Lopez), a no-nonsense, independent young woman fresh out of university, who prefers actuarial accounting to concerts and museums. Now that Vivie has graduated from the best schools money can buy and is of marriageable age, her mother Kitty Warren (Melinda Lopez), who kept her distance and the nature of her business a secret, decides it's time for a closer mother-daughter relationship. While condemning a society that condones poverty while denying economic opportunity and flouting a double standard for women, the true heartbreak within 'Mrs. Warren's Profession' comes from the fracturing mother-daughter relationship at its heart. It's a breakdown spurred by their conflicting views on how to earn a living without 'wearing out your health and appearance for other people's profit.' Advertisement The play's emotional strength emerges from the sparks that fly between these two ambitious, independent women and the gap between the assumptions and expectations parents and children often have for themselves and each other. When Vivie learns that the money that bought her education was earned through prostitution, she expresses shock and moral outrage. Her mother's impassioned defense is based on the choices available to women. Vivie is won over, until she learns her mother continues to operate her profitable network of brothels, at which point she disowns her mother, determined to make her way in the world without her. Nael Nacer and Wesley Savick. Nile Scott Studios Four men orbit this mother/daughter sparring match, representing aspects of the transactional world these women must navigate. They include Kitty's friend and confidante Praed (a dapper and dashing Nael Nacer), who makes a case for the artistic life; Sir George Crofts (an appropriately slimy Barlow Adamson), Kitty's business partner, for whom everything is a business deal, including an offer of marriage to Vivie; Frank Gardner (Evan Taylor), a shallow young bounder and Vivie's love interest, who sees her as his meal ticket; and Reverend Samuel Gardner (Wesley Savick), Frank's father and one of Kitty's former clients, who hides his profligate past behind the sanctimony of the church. Tucker earned an award-winning reputation for visceral co-productions between his New York-based theater company Bedlam and Central Square Theater, including 'St. Joan,' 'Twelfth Night,' 'What You Will,' ' Advertisement While the actors do clamber through an open window and sprawl around on the conference table, Tucker's approach tends to obscure, rather than reveal the essence of this play. That table also creates an uncomfortable distance between the characters, so that we never get close enough to see the cracks beneath Kitty's veneer of a successful businesswoman, or get past Vivie's arrogance. Each member of this company has moments when they shine, although oddly, it's the men who stand out – Nacer's suave and loyal friend; Adamson's rage at having his business deal rejected; Taylor's gold-digging eye on whoever can cover his bills; and Savick's blundering reverend, undone by the knowledge that Vivie may or may not be his daughter. But these singular moments never quite gel, and this production moves in fits and starts rather than the dynamic, fast-paced approach Tucker is known for. While it's true Shaw was eager to poke society in the eye with his strident messages – 'Mrs. Warren's Profession' was published as one of his trio of 'Plays Unpleasant' – if we don't have the opportunity to feel the tug of conflicting allegiances to this mother and daughter, we don't see the emotional price these women must pay, and we're left only with Shaw's polemic. MRS. WARREN'S PROFESSION Play by George Bernard Shaw, directed by Eric Tucker, Bedlam, presented by Central Square Theatre through June 29. Tickets: $27-$103. 617-576-9278 x1,
