Top of the Rock Observation Deck at historical landmark, Rockefeller Center, stands out amidst the shiny new skyscrapers and observation decks of the city. However, even iconic attractions need to innovate. Top of the Rock's, “The Beam”, was conceived by mining truths from its history and foundational brand strategy: to awaken the spirit of New York City and all who visit, leading us to elevate guests to even greater heights, while celebrating the rich history of the city. The campaign, "SEE YOU AT THE TOP'' features celebrities, New York icons, and everyday New Yorkers that reached millions of people worldwide.

Rockefeller Center, an art deco masterpiece, is a symbol of America’s industrial innovation and a tribute to New York's rich history and artistry. The building itself represents the determination and resilience of the New Yorkers who constructed it in the years following the Great Depression. The iconic photograph "Lunch Atop A Skyscraper" captured eleven iron workers sitting on a steel beam, 850 feet above ground, taking a lunch break from building Rockefeller Center. Inspired by this photograph and driven by the brand’s new strategic vision, Tishman Speyer and Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center, created a unique attraction at the very top of the building, where visitors can sit on a beam, be lifted ~12 feet into the air and rotated for a spectacular view of NYC’s Central Park, positioned and nearly the exact location as the ironworkers in the original 1932 photograph. This experience, called "The Beam," was launched in December 2023, and it immediately fulfilled the brand's promise to "awaken the New York spirit in all who come." Rockefeller Center has established itself as the foremost and most authentic New York experience for tourists and New Yorkers alike.

As one of New York’s leading observation decks, Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center saw an opportunity to elevate their platform. Between its unmatched city views and its rich history, The Beam presented an opportunity to increase its share of voice and foot traffic.

The objective was simple: to be innovative and unique, while also adhering to Rockefeller Center’s strong roots and connectivity to New York City. While the response to increased visitor volume, ticket sales, and visitation to the Center was incredible, it was the choice to lean into the historic meaning of The Beam to create an innovative attraction for all ages, locals, and tourists that really made this campaign a success.

With other popular observation experiences in NYC, it can be challenging to stand out. The Beam is a unique attraction that offers visitors a historical yet modern experience like no other. When launching The Beam, the aim was to remind visitors that Top of the Rock is the go-to observation deck that has it all: from its inspiring history to 360 views. The challenge was to find the right balance between honoring the Center and incorporating modern innovation. To achieve this, the team executed a creative campaign that showcased a side-by-side comparison of a 1932 photo and a modern color photo, offering an interactive experience for visitors. The Beam's blend of the past and the present is what makes it unique, and continues to captivate not just locals, but visitors from around the world who’ll remember this experience for years to come.

The strategy was built around the concept of "The Heart of New York", which positioned Rockefeller Center’s campus as the ideal destination for visitors to work, play, stay, and enjoy themselves. Our target audiences consisted of both New Yorkers and global tourists.

To attract and captivate these two distinct audiences, we developed a strategy to ignite the New York spirit in everyone who comes to visit. We leveraged the pride and passion that New Yorkers have for their city, and also highlighted the industrial innovation, history and artistry that paved the way to the present day, doubling down on Rockefeller Center’s appeal to global tourists.

To further tug at the heart strings of these two audiences, the campaign featured celebrities and New Yorkers alike, generating appeal to all.

Promotion for the attraction launched prior to The Beam installation to garner interest. The first phase of promotion (September '23) included utilizing schematics and blueprints to create a plate shot of The Beam. For the second phase (October '23), a replica was built, using original blueprints from the manufacturer for an in-studio shoot which featured celebrity talent and every-day New Yorkers, alike. We then had the talent sit on a raised platform to simulate the feeling of having their feet dangling and get the right lighting and correct shadows. The campaign ran across 14 countries in 7 languages, on Search, Digital, Social, OOH, and organic social and influencer tactics. Targeted social momentum propelled the new experience into every New Yorker's social feeds. A total of 140 creative assets were developed, including high-quality photographs and videos. The campaign achieved over 1 billion impressions, in the first few months.

Opened with a 16.1% penetration rate among Top of the Rock visitors, more than doubling projections demonstrating resonance with our audience.

In 2024 +82% to expected visitor count to The Beam

Impressions - 1,366,772,372

Social Follower Growth: 153% increase

140 creative assets developed which delivered 151MM impressions across paid, owned and influencer channels in the first 3 months

1.1 billion earned impressions across broadcast and online channels

In paid search, keywords related to The Beam drove site traffic at a 27% higher rate and a 34% higher ROAS

Social and Display increased in CTR (+210%) and ROAS for creative related to The Beam campaign

Organic social, The Beam content was the top performing across all organic posts that ran in 2023 and the top post significantly exceeded historical client benchmarks, delivering 490K reach (+1371%), 449K impressions (+1181%) and 34K engagements (+1177%)