Zippo lighters are famous for their durability and utility, which is why they have a huge fanbase with outdoor enthusiasts, campers and hikers. To engage with these nature lovers, we created

Pyrotechnic Posters: an interactive installation at the Zippo Museum, in the museum’s retail gift shop, and a kit sent to outdoor influencers.

Each kit was designed with the rugged, all-American aesthetic that Zippo is famous for.

A solid oak case featured laser-etched brand messages appeared to be burned into the wood surface. Inside, there was a classic Zippo lighter and a letter with an unusual request—to set the posters on fire.

These “ordinary” black posters in the kit, the Zippo Museum and gift shop were hiding an elaborately illustrated world. But there was a catch—you could only see it by using your Zippo.

The secret to making it all work was thermochromic ink technology that responds to the heat of a flame. When touched with the lighter, the pitch-black surface revealed a hidden world of imposing animals in three environments: a forest, a cave, and a swamp.

Pyrotechnic Posters sparked intrigue with an adventure-loving audience, and reinforced that Zippo was an essential tool to “see what’s out there” in the great outdoors.