The New York City Subway Celebrates 120 Years of Moving the City
October 24, 2024
The New York City subway is more than a transportation system. It’s a community gathering spot, an economic accelerator, and a way of life. And it’s been at the heart of NYC for 120 years.
The subway opened on October 27, 1904, generating excitement and fanfare as the transit system ignited many opportunities to residents and the city itself as a hub of commerce.
Over the decades, the subway has provided access to New Yorkers and visitors alike. The subway is the connective tissue not only between work and home, but to family, to new experiences, and to joy. It takes us to Broadway, sporting events, and all the things that make New York well... New York.
New York City Subway Advertising
Since its opening, advertising has been a part of the subway commuter journey, keeping riders informed, educated, and entertained. Subsidized fares ensure that the subway is accessible to everyone; serving as a community bulletin board, the subway reaches masses across the Big Apple. Iconic brands like Coca-Cola, Broadway shows, and local businesses of all kinds have trusted subway advertising as an impactful way to reach New Yorkers.
Transformation
Today, the advertising space has been transformed. We’ve placed over 18,000 digital out of home ad screens across the subway entrances and exits, throughout the stations, and in the subway cars. Today’s digital transit media allows for full-motion content, near-real-time updates, and for brands to connect and inform today’s riders.
Experience History IRL
OUTFRONT had the honor to work with the New York Transit Museum on an anniversary campaign running across the system. "The subway is synonymous with this city," says New York Transit Museum Director Concetta Bencivenga. "We are inextricably linked. As the old song goes, you can't have one without the other!"
The museum is celebrating the subway’s impressive milestone with a landmark new exhibit called “The Subway Is…,” which invites visitors to explore the profound impact of the subway on New York City’s development, culture, and identity. From the moment the first train rumbled beneath the city streets, the subway has not only moved hundreds of millions of people but also shaped the very fabric of the city. The exhibition explores some of the endless ways to complete the sentence, “The Subway Is…”
OUTFRONT STUDIOS Graphic Designer Austin Tam shares the concept for the creative. “As a subway rider myself, along with millions of other New Yorkers, executing the campaign for the 120th Subway Anniversary felt natural."
“The overall visual idea was to immerse viewers into a subway train setting, where they took a journey through subway history,” explained Austin. “The inspiration stemmed from my own personal ridership experience and my observations of the subway train structures like textures, hardware, metals, the creative features and elements you would see in your subway ride, like bolts, rubber trim, and light reflections, as well as historical imagery from the museum archives.”
“The tagline ‘Experience History IRL’ ties the creative back to the NYTM along with the logos to serve as the functional piece of the ad, encouraging riders to check out the NYTM and join in on the celebration.”
Since 1904, the New York City subway has been instrumental in building the Big Apple to the economic capital it is today. It’s a sign of New York’s strength and resilience and best of all, as Sarah Jessica Parker admits, “the subway is the fastest way to get around town.”
Cheers to 120 years of Subway@theCenter of Commerce, Community, Culture, and Campaigns.
You can be a part of tomorrow’s subway history. Contact OUTFRONT today to learn how.
Author: Victoria Mottesheard, VP Marketing, East Region @ OUTFRONT
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