Kilmer House

How do you build a museum that everyone can get to?  You put it online! This April, Johnson & Johnson launched two new experiences: Our Story at the Powerhouse, on the company’s World Headquarters campus (it draws its name from the beautifully restored 1907 Powerhouse building that houses it), and its companion, ourstory.jnj.com, an online experience.  They are both interactive experiences that takes visitors through Johnson & Johnson’s history – in the context of world history – from 1886 to the present. 

Johnson & Johnson has been telling its story since 1889, when Scientific Director Fred Kilmer joined the company.  A member of the New Brunswick, New Jersey Historical Club, Kilmer believed that preserving and telling stories about Johnson & Johnson was important for the business, and he started the company’s original museum 96 years ago. 

Although it’s easy to make a quick visit to Our Story to learn some interesting things about Johnson & Johnson, many areas of the site are designed as immersive experiences that readers will want to spend more time with and savor – kind of like curling up with a good book or visiting your favorite museum that you go back to again and again. 

The first thing you’ll see on ourstory.jnj.com is the opening narrative:  the founding of Johnson & Johnson, which had its earliest roots in the battlefields of the Civil War.  Images from the Johnson & Johnson archives are enhanced by photographs from The Library of Congress and other archives around the world, along with music and audio that help unfold the story of the beginning of the company.  Think of this part of the site as that first episode that compels you to binge-watch an entire online series, with more episodes coming as the year progresses. 

There’s also an interactive timeline that tells the Johnson & Johnson story from 1886 to the present, in the context of world history and the great scientific milestones of the 19^th, 20^th and 21^st centuries.  Since it will be updated on a regular basis, this is one section to check back with again and again.

The Global Community section has current stories from around the world that use images and video to show the many ways Johnson & Johnson, its employees, and its partners are saving and improving lives every day.  And there’s a section that allows visitors to get a peek behind the scenes into the Johnson & Johnson archives, to see artifacts and rare photographs in the collection and learn the stories behind them.  (Have I mentioned that everything here tells a story?) 

Finally, the Features section includes deeper dives into stories about some of the most fascinating people, ideas and organizations in Johnson & Johnson’s history – with new stories to be added on a regular basis.  If you like reading the backstory behind pieces of modern life, such as the reasons why people suddenly started taking better care of their teeth in the 20^th century, or why early first aid manuals were important public health tools, or how World War I changed advertising, then this is another section to add to your reading list.

So check out Our Story, the newest addition to the Johnson & Johnson heritage family.  You never know: the next series you binge-watch online may not be that popular mystery or drama that everyone’s talking about -- it may be Johnson & Johnson Our Story!

P.S.  don’t forget to bookmark this link:  ourstory.jnj.com