The first chair by Sabine Marcelis, BD Barcelona
Campaign, Case Study, Communication Strategy
The Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam commissioned Sabine Marcelis to design her first chair for its renewed public spaces, designed by architect Pau Cournet. The brief required a piece that could operate across contexts: timeless, lightweight, stackable, durable, suitable for indoor and outdoor use, and aligned with the institution’s sustainability criteria. BD Barcelona acted as an industrial partner, responsible for the technical development and manufacturing of the project. In parallel, the chair was integrated into BD’s catalogue, maintaining the integrity of the design while becoming a commercially available object.
My role was to lead the narrative of the launch campaign with the designers, the museum, and BD’s creative director, and to develop the case study for a project operating across multiple layers of communication. The challenge was not the introduction of a new product, but the articulation of several narratives at once: Marcelis’ first chair as a milestone in her practice, BD’s role as editor and industrial partner, and the communication of BD’s services for architects as part of its positioning. All of this within limited resources.
The strategy was to construct a single content system in which each element served multiple purposes. Product, process, and context were not separated, but treated as one continuous narrative shaped by collaboration and the cultural role of a design editor.
The visual language of the campaign was defined by Nacho Alegre’s photography during the museum opening. The film was developed through remote conversations with the designers and edited by Bandido. This system was extended through product imagery in different contexts, contract applications, and a specific campaign for the coloured version.
The result was a campaign that simultaneously communicated a product, a service, and a collaboration. In the month of launch, BD recorded its highest website traffic to date.
Credits
Creative Direction and Photography Nacho Alegre
Graphic Designer Elisa Di Dato
Video Editor Bandido
The Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam commissioned Sabine Marcelis to design her first chair for its renewed public spaces, designed by architect Pau Cournet. The brief required a piece that could operate across contexts: timeless, lightweight, stackable, durable, suitable for indoor and outdoor use, and aligned with the institution’s sustainability criteria. BD Barcelona acted as an industrial partner, responsible for the technical development and manufacturing of the project. In parallel, the chair was integrated into BD’s catalogue, maintaining the integrity of the design while becoming a commercially available object.
My role was to lead the narrative of the launch campaign with the designers, the museum, and BD’s creative director, and to develop the case study for a project operating across multiple layers of communication. The challenge was not the introduction of a new product, but the articulation of several narratives at once: Marcelis’ first chair as a milestone in her practice, BD’s role as editor and industrial partner, and the communication of BD’s services for architects as part of its positioning. All of this within limited resources.
The strategy was to construct a single content system in which each element served multiple purposes. Product, process, and context were not separated, but treated as one continuous narrative shaped by collaboration and the cultural role of a design editor.
The visual language of the campaign was defined by Nacho Alegre’s photography during the museum opening. The film was developed through remote conversations with the designers and edited by Bandido. This system was extended through product imagery in different contexts, contract applications, and a specific campaign for the coloured version.
The result was a campaign that simultaneously communicated a product, a service, and a collaboration. In the month of launch, BD recorded its highest website traffic to date.
Credits
Creative Direction and Photography Nacho Alegre
Graphic Designer Elisa Di Dato
Video Editor Bandido
Work done for BD Barcelona
Gaulino Family by Oscar Tusquets Campaign
Masheb Sofa by Arquitectura-G Event
Pillow Sofa by Muller Van Severen Campaign
INTERZONE by Muller Van Severen Event
Apartamento x BD Barcelona Campaign
Salone del Mobile 2025 Fair
Eclipso Collection by Jaime Hayon Campaign
Showtime chair by Jaime Hayon Campaign
Copenhagen Design Week 2025 Event
Pillow Sofa x KASSL Editions Campaign
Bridges Cabinets by Muller Van Severen Campaign
Gaudí Centenary Campaign
Related projects
