Museum of Promotional Articles
Promotional products have a history. MoPA brings it to life.
MoPA is the travelling exhibition about the past, present and future of tangible advertising – curated as a walk-through journey with original objects, stories and unexpected connections.
curated exhibits
PSI 2024 premiere
interactive time capsules
Stevie Award 2025
01 · The idea
A museum for the medium that makes brands tangible.
From early keepsakes and the first promotional pens to connected products, MoPA shows how objects become ambassadors – and why tangible communication is cultural, design and business history all at once.
02 · The exhibition
Eleven rooms. One idea spanning millennia.
Each world connects the origin, use and transformation of a product category through selected exhibits, sources and anecdotes.
Writing & notebooks
From early writing tools and the BIC Cristal to the reusable smart notebook.
Textiles & caps
Clothing as belonging, attitude, campaign medium and visible brand space.
Fire & light
Matches and lighters as everyday technology and enduring advertising media.
Cups & enjoyment
How use, ritual and memory turn everyday objects into brand companions.
Pins & identity
Small signs with a big history – across politics, pop culture and community.
The future
Where physical products, data, circular thinking and digital interaction converge.
Textiles & caps gallery
Textiles & caps gallery
Cups & enjoyment gallery
Future gallery · Physical meets digital
MoPA Night · Düsseldorf
“Tradition meets transformation.”
A curated history of objects that carry ideas.
Future gallery · Physical meets digital
MoPA Night · Düsseldorf
“Tradition meets transformation.”
“Tradition meets transformation.”
A curated history of objects that carry ideas.
03 · The galleries
Go deeper into the collection.
Explore the exhibition rooms, individual object worlds, MoPA on Tour, the coffee table book and an imagined conversation between George Washington and Jasper Meek.
MoPA on Tour
The exhibition travels to its audience.
Following its premiere at PSI in Düsseldorf, MoPA went on the road as a configurable pop-up exhibition for trade fairs, industry events, universities and cultural venues.
January 2024
PSI · Düsseldorf
Premiere of the complete exhibition and MoPA Night.
HAPTICA® live · Bonn
First tour stop within the Haptic Advertising Experience.
September 2024
Supplier Days · Houten
International stop in the Netherlands.
The collection in print
More than 200 pages. Two languages. One piece of industry history.
The large-format coffee table book brings together MoPA’s exhibits, historical context and detailed photography in German and English. It preserves the exhibition and makes its stories accessible beyond any single venue.
04 · Recognition
Awarded Best Pop-Up Event.
In 2025, “MoPA – Museum of Promotional Articles on Tour” received a Gold Stevie Award in the Best Pop-Up Event category.
What is MoPA?
MoPA stands for Museum of Promotional Articles. It is a travelling, bilingual exhibition about the history and future of promotional products and tangible advertising.
Is MoPA a permanent museum?
MoPA was designed as a pop-up exhibition. The collection can be curated for suitable trade fairs, events and educational venues.
What does the exhibition show?
More than 200 exhibits, historical documents, object stories and future scenarios are presented across eleven interactive themed rooms.
Which languages are available?
The exhibition and coffee table book are designed in German and English. Digital content and audio texts were also produced bilingually.
Who created MoPA?
MoPA was developed by Steven Baumgaertner and the Cybergroup International team and first presented with PSI in 2024.
MoPA in brief
05 · FAQ
Exhibit · Partner · Research
Let’s bring the history of tangible advertising to its next destination.
For tour enquiries, partnerships, loans or editorial collaboration, contact the MoPA team directly.
MoPA is a travelling exhibition by Cybergroup International. It premiered at PSI in Düsseldorf in January 2024. The figures shown refer to the documented premiere exhibition and curated collection.
Facts & context