With 200+ banks already vying for customers, Citizens was launching into one of the most competitive financial markets in the world. The opportunity was huge, but so was the challenge. So, how do we make a memorable introduction to our new neighbors in New York City?

In a saturated market with a bank on every corner, a traditional “Hello, New York” campaign would neither break through nor emotionally connect—not when you’re trying to capture the attention of the country’s biggest, most discerning population. NYC is a cultural capital, where trends start, ambitions are realized, and people are driven to get ahead. We needed to create something fresh that started in NYC, was unexpected and newsworthy, and delivered tangible value. In short, we needed to entice the citizens of New York to attend a live event that would create a lasting impression for Citizens, the bank.

We designed it as a gift to the citizens of New York, from Citizens, the newest bank in the city. It was created to celebrate New Yorkers and give them an opportunity to reflect on their own unique New York experiences. Most importantly, it tangibly demonstrated that Citizens goes a step beyond to truly understand their customers, and champion them throughout their life journey.

There were five key steps in building an immersive, engaging data and insights-driven experience:

Initial discovery – Reviewed 48 published studies, surveys, and data sources to ground our truths and build hypotheses around the most interesting, relevant, and useful facts about the city and residents.

Qualitative immersion – Conducted interviews to test hypothesis and gather thoughts, feelings, and anecdotes about the city. This phase informed the custom quantitative survey.

Quantitative validation – 5,000 New Yorkers were asked unexpected questions to capture custom data on the facets of life in NYC, and what makes it so special and distinct.

Qualitative expansion – Conducted person-on-the-street interviews, to bring our learnings to life, add emotion, and perspective using the words and perspectives of real New Yorkers.

Story building - Packaged up the very best findings to create an interwoven, surprising, and immersive story about NYC and the people who call the city home.

The experience was over a year in the making and involved in-depth research, in-person interviews, filming, polls and journalistic reporting with 5,000 New Yorkers from all five boroughs.

The space itself visually drew people in with design that mimicked the look and feel of the city. Towering beams of light mimicked skyscrapers and were imbedded with directional audio technology that few New Yorkers had ever experienced. Inside the light, visitors heard "only in New York" stories based on 15 different themes of love, loss, life, art, food, and relationships.

Stunning data visualization brought to life how New Yorkers live, work and play. A 360º film documented 24 hours of city life, and interactive story booths invited people to add their own portrait and New York story to the ever-evolving portrait of city—all in real time.

1. Get noticed. Campaign impressions exceeded goals by ~15M, hitting 48M and resulting in over 2M #livingportraitnyc searches. Every aspect of the campaign from social, to digital, to OOH and influencer over-delivered. The word spread building excitement, interest, and most importantly FOMO.

2. Drive Attendance. 28,402 tickets were reserved, a shocking 56% over benchmark. Attendees hit 12,301 in total across the 10 days run, an amazing 20% over benchmark. Everyone was blown away by the excitement and enthusiasm surrounding the experience, which was considered a runaway success.

3. Authentically connect. The experience realized a dramatic 7.2% brand awareness lift over benchmark, with 99.5% saying it was interesting and inspiring, and with an unheard of 100% positive sentiment, from an average of -5 for Citizens pre-event. You only get one chance to make a good first impression and the experience delivered, setting the brand on the right path from day one.