Bernie Wagenblast has one of the most famous voices in New York City as an announcer of the MTA subway system. She also recently came out as a transgender woman.

We leveraged her famous voice (and her new female voice) to deliver an unforgettable reminder that transgender people are a part of everyday life, turning Bernie into an icon for the cause and sparking positive conversations around transgender awareness and issues.

Our earned media strategy included a press conference at Christopher Street station, extensive outreach efforts, and social media posts by the MTA, Callen-Lorde, and NYC LGBT Historic sites.

Although New York is a global cultural hub known for diversity and progressiveness, transgender individuals may still face anxiety and apprehension when traveling through public spaces such as the subway. The subway is both a melting pot of diversity and the site of discrimination and harassment. For transgender individuals, the potential for encountering harassment or violence while in transit can create a great deal of anxiety.

Bernie Wagenblast's voice has been an indelible part of the soundscape of New York City for almost two decades, but little was known of her story. Bernie recently came out as a transgender woman and this campaign helped expand the reach of her story.

IN TRANSIT was developed at a time when transgender people are under attack across the country as a part of the right-wing, anti-woke movement, and was developed specifically for the subway system, the beating heart of the city where increased visibility of transgender people has the greatest potential to reach the most New Yorkers. When transgender individuals see themselves reflected positively in public spaces, it validates their identities and experiences, fostering a sense of belonging and community. Moreover, visibility promotes understanding and empathy among subway riders, fostering a culture of inclusivity and acceptance.

This campaign was developed jointly with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), Callen-Lorde (a leading LGBTQ+ healthcare organization and the largest provider of transgender health services in New York) and NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project (which documents LGBTQ+ history and historical sties in NYC).

In Transit was an original earned-first creative idea.

Despite NYC’s progressive landscape, transgender people continue to face discrimination, harassment, and violence across the country. An NYC Comptroller survey revealed the subway as a location that evokes anxiety among transgender people due to the potential for discrimination and harassment.

Studies show that people who personally know transgender individuals are more likely to be accepting and supportive of trans people in general. Turns out every New Yorker already knows someone: Bernie Wagenblast. Our campaign aimed to leverage her well-known and familiar voice to show that transgender people are already a part of everyday life—even guiding their daily commutes.

The objective was twofold. Bernie's voice can serve as a beacon of acceptance and reassurance that helps transgender people feel seen. For all subway riders, Bernie’s familiar voice can foster empathy and understanding.

For the week surrounding Transgender Day of Visibility on March 31, we changed Bernie Wagenblast’s iconic voice of the subway to reflect her new identity as a transgender woman. Bernie recently came out as a transgender woman, so we introduced brand new audio messages using Bernie’s new female voice to deliver an unforgettable reminder that transgender people are all around.

Subway riders heard rerecorded subway announcements from Bernie in her new authentic voice on audio systems through the city, along with a personal message about her transition, promoting acceptance. This new message marked a historic moment as the first time an openly transgender person made MTA announcements, highlighting visibility and inclusion in daily commutes.

Multichannel efforts included digital billboards, OOH posters, a fictional T Line featuring historical landmarks of NYC’s trans community, and a podcast series hosted by Bernie.

We used Bernie Wagenblast’s voice, the most famous voice in New York, to increase visibility for transgender people. The key message was to recognize and normalize that transgender people are a part of everyday life, including their daily subway rides.

Our strategy included media outreach for earned media and social media posts to generate viral discussion. The only paid media was in station signage to drive riders to listen to the podcast and explore the website.

Our objective and target audience was twofold, focusing on both transgender individuals and all subway riders. For transgender people it was to affirm their significance and make them feel ‘seen’. Studies show that people who personally know transgender individuals are more likely to be accepting and supportive. Therefore, for all commuters, the familiarity of Bernie’s voice, one they hear every day, could foster empathy and understanding.

IN TRANSIT was implemented over a 7-day runtime surrounding Transgender Day of Visibility across various media channels. Bernie rerecorded her iconic announcements in her new voice along with a personal message promoting awareness, which was broadcast by the MTA to 3.2 million subway riders in number line stations across the city.

A press release was staged at the Christopher Street station, a location with historical significance to the LGBTQ+ community. A subway station takeover occurred there as well (the only piece of paid media), where OOH ads raised awareness of Transgender Day of Visibility and directed riders to explore the campaign's website and podcast.

Media outreach and earned media generated exposure in the local New York market, national and global outlets.

Social media posts from the MTA, Callen-Lorde, and NYC LGBT Historic Sites generated conversation online and exceeded expected social reach and positive sentiment coverage.

At a time when press coverage is dominated by anti-trans laws and negative anti-woke stories, this campaign injects positive trans visibility into the news cycle. We prepared a full crisis management communication plan in the event of negative coverage as part of the anti-woke movement. We were pleasantly surprised to receive 100% positive sentiment in news coverage.

3.2 million subway riders directly

600k social media impressions

14.5m+ media impressions

10.7% engagement rate per social impression

Bernie's story has been featured in many media outlets including the New York Times, New York Post, ABC, BBC, CBS, Good Morning America, Globo, USA Today, amNY and more.

The MTA's social media was flooded with positive messages (instead of the usual complaints), and Bernie received an outpouring of support.

Beyond numbers and impressions, we created a platform for transgender issues and generated significant conversation and celebration, the ultimate goal of Transgender Day of Visibility.

Because of the message and how it was delivered, In Transit resonated deeply with its target audience of New Yorkers, directly engaging with them during a captive moment in their commute: the time spent waiting idly at the station.

By using the iconic voice of the subway, Bernie Wagenblast who recently came out as a transgender woman, In Transit sent a new message of acceptance to riders wrapped in the comforting familiarity of a well-known voice.

The MTA is an institution in New York. Callen-Lorde is the largest provider of transgender health services in the city. And NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project is a preservation project for LGBT history. The combined efforts of these three organizations carries a great deal of trust and authority to the local audience.

Through multiple touch points, the campaign effectively captured the attention of NYC commuters to introduce a message of acceptance and inclusivity.