The task was to design a visually arresting campaign for an exhibition of works from the Palace Museum in Beijing. The museum is housed in the Forbidden City. This exhibition was part of an exchange between the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and the Palace Museum in Beijing. Drawn from the collection of the Forbidden City, featured works included scrolls, costumes, furniture, and fine decorative arts such as lacquer ware, and jade.

The letterforms of the design were created using details from the actual decorative arts—rich and diverse objects from the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1911) dynasties. The campaign was composed of interior and exterior building signage, banners, and an airport duratran—all typical media. But the designers also teamed with a local Richmond brewery to craft a special Forbidden beer (and the coasters and brewery banner to go with it) to commemorate the opening of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts' exclusive exhibit.

The campaign resulted in surpassing attendance projections by 14%.