Situation: Adobe aimed to resonate with Gen Z—digital natives who prize creativity and tangible community contributions.

Brief: Create a groundbreaking social media initiative that breaks the mold of typical advertising, embedding Adobe's digital prowess into the physical world.

Objectives: To reposition Adobe as a brand synonymous with real-world creativity and to demonstrate its products' role in enhancing urban life.

"Redesigning Signs" converted ordinary city signage into captivating art installations, employing Adobe tools in real-time urban canvas transformations. The scalability of this initiative lies in its potential to be replicated globally, inviting brands to consider public spaces as extensions of digital creativity.

Target audience: We uncovered that creatives love visual transformations with before/afters, and that Gen Z in particular connects well with content centered around community efforts.

Approach: *Millennial pause* The series ‘Redesigning Signs in NYC’ was born. In the series (that garnered such reactions as “I didn’t even realize this was an ad!” and “I want 100 more videos of this”), we partnered with Max Kolomatsky, Brooklyn-based designer and social creator, to use Adobe’s design tools to revamp local ads around New York City, delighting fans with tales about a man with a van, a dog poop sign and more. By authentically weaving the Adobe product into stories about funny street ads and the people behind them, we found a creative way to connect our audience to a community – and even left that community a bit more beautiful than we found it.

Implementation: Partnered with local artists and Max Kolomatsky, a Brooklyn-based designer, to creatively enhance neighborhood signs using Adobe's software.

Timeline: Executed over a period that maximized engagement and sustained community interest.

Placement: Carefully selected vibrant neighborhoods known for their cultural significance and pedestrian traffic.

Scale: Focused on high-impact areas within New York to maximize both visibility and engagement.

The "Redesigning Signs" series achieved unprecedented success, captivating audiences with its authentic engagement and creative flair. Garnering 6.3 million organic views on TikTok and 10.2 million across platforms, the campaign dramatically exceeded Adobe's benchmark with a staggering 36X average view rate per video and an 11% engagement rate—156% above expectations. On Instagram, it amassed 4.1 million views, far surpassing platform benchmarks with an 8% engagement rate, a 3000% increase. These results underscored the campaign's impact, resonating deeply within the community and elevating Max Kolomatsky to a celebrated local figure. This series not only expanded Adobe's brand love but also set a new standard in blending advertising with community enrichment, demonstrating a profound understanding of how to engage modern audiences effectively.