The idea was to create a hyperlocal version of the DAVID BOWIE IS exhibition right at the heart of where David Bowie lived in SoHo, hence the name DAVID BOWIE IS HERE. Research showed that David Bowie was often seen about in the neighborhood like a regular SoHo resident, and so it seemed fitting that this mini-exhibition would be held at his local subway station, Broadway-Lafayette. Each exhibition piece was accompanied by a gallery-style description card which might talk about his life in the area, his favorite spots, where he performed, where he recorded his hits, and the proximity from the station—with a Spotify code that plays the David Bowie song it inspired.

DAVID BOWIE IS HERE took over all of Broadway-Lafayette station, featuring over 40 unique pieces about the music icon’s life in the neighborhood and New York City. The work covered a spectrum as broad as Bowie’s category-defying career, including never-before-seen images from photographers such as Mick Rock and Masayoshi Sukita, personal artifacts from his archive, new commissioned pieces from longtime collaborators, staircases featuring Bowie’s lyrics about New York City, and a 150-ft anamorphic centerpiece that shows Bowie from two eras. Each piece came accompanied with a Spotify code so commuters could listen to the David Bowie song it inspired. At launch, we released 250,000 David Bowie MetroCards—based on five different Bowie musical alter-egos—available only at Broadway-Lafayette.

DAVID BOWIE IS HERE was a cultural sensation, catching the Metro Transport Authorities off-guard by its overwhelming response, with lines for the limited-edition MetroCards stretching to 2.5 hours. The subway takeover was covered heavily in media, resulting in over $31 million in earned media impressions. Streams of David Bowie tracks on Spotify increased 28%. 57 million consumers were reached by social sharing in the first week alone—with no paid amplification. Variety called the subway takeover “a deeply researched museum piece in itself,” with perhaps the best compliment coming from the fans who have been stealing the exhibition pieces from the station—prompting several replacements.

Spotify deeply believes in connecting music artists to fans, and vice-versa. So when the DAVID BOWIE IS exhibition arrived in New York City, lead sponsor Spotify worked closely with the David Bowie Estate to create an authentic experience for fans where the music of David Bowie sits at the core. In addition, the campaign had to be bold, innovative, and pioneering, like the music legend himself.

Authenticity is key, which is why our partnership with the David Bowie Estate sat at the very heart of the project. This allowed for unprecedented access to his archive, and personal help from Bowie’s many longtime friends and collaborators. We then worked closely with the transport authorities to allow for spaces within the station that go beyond traditional ad placements, urging that this was less an ad campaign, and more of a music exhibition that happens to sit inside a subway station.

Spotify deeply believes in connecting music artists to fans, and vice-versa. So when the DAVID BOWIE IS exhibition arrived in New York City, lead sponsor Spotify worked closely with the David Bowie Estate to create an authentic experience for fans where the music of David Bowie sits at the core. In addition, the campaign had to be bold, innovative, and pioneering, like the music legend himself.