FlyteVu worked with Vanderbilt University Medical Center to share the Nashville community’s support and gratitude for the nurses, doctors, and staff in a two part campaign. The first part was to create a digital art installation inside the hospital and dedicate it to the 28,000 doctors, nurses, and staff at VUMC, while also celebrating the lives saved and honoring those lost in the ongoing fight against COVID-19.
Utilizing a microsite and interactive technology, FlyteVu installed an LED screen within VUMC’s main campus lobby for staff and visitors to see. The screen displays the interactive “Gratitude Tree.” Community members can submit notes of thanks to VUMC caregivers through the microsite that are transformed into leaves on the tree in real time. As notes are submitted, staff see the Gratitude Tree grow inside the hospital everyday.
The Gratitude Tree serves as an extension of the Gratitunes program, a nationwide platform created in 2020 to thank the medical staff on the frontlines of COVID-19 at VUMC and nationwide. As the second part of the campaign, the art piece and its messages were used to create the ultimate “Gratitune,” a song born of gratitude. FlyteVu secured a partnership with local Nashville musicians, Mat Kearney and Devon Gilfillian to further amplify the art installation. The duo wrote and performed a song inspired by the notes of thanks submitted through the microsite. Using footage from both the song recording and images from the hospital, FlyteVu produced a Gratitude Tree music video released across socials.