THE NEW ERA OF PUBLIC SPACE PROMOTIONS
When was the last time you really looked up at a billboard? When was the last time you sat through a commercial without skipping or picking up your phone? Today, brands and creators are redefining public spaces as interactive stages to captivate audiences in bold, unexpected ways.
European countries have long embraced experiential marketing in public spaces. Notable campaigns include: KitKat's "Free No Wi-Fi Zone" in Amsterdam, which encouraged people to take a real break from their screens, and Vienna's unique promotion of its cultural relationship with mortality, featuring events and installations in public spaces. This innovative approach has now taken root in the US, captivating audiences in major cities like New York.
Recent examples like Bad Bunny’s impromptu NYC subway station performance and the Severance cast’s mock office takeover at Grand Central Station are perfect case studies of this new wave of experiential marketing happening.
Bad Bunny: Bringing the Party Underground
When Bad Bunny decided to promote his new album, Debí Tirar Más Fotos, it’s clear he wanted it to connect to people differently. He took his music straight to the people and performed live in a New York City subway station. The result? An unfiltered, electrifying moment that not only blurred the line between artist and audience but also stopped notoriously unbothered New York City commuters in their tracks.
By choosing a subway station, Bad Bunny not only tapped into the energy of one of NYC’s most iconic public spaces but also created an intimate connection with fans. Subway stations are often places of hustle and routine, but on that day, it became a stage for a cultural moment.
Severance: An Office in Grand Central
Meanwhile, the cast of AppleTV’s Severance turned Grand Central Station into a pop-up office, leaning into the show’s eerie, corporate aesthetic to promote its new season. Passersby encountered actors portraying office workers in sterile cubicles, an unsettling yet brilliant nod to the show’s theme of work-life balance gone wrong.
The activation didn’t just serve as a teaser for fans; it also became a talking point for anyone who walked through the terminal that day. The juxtaposition of mundane office life in one of the busiest transit hubs in the world is brilliant, making the installation impossible to ignore.
Why It Works
These campaigns stand out because they bring the brand directly into the real world in unexpected ways. By choosing public spaces, marketers tap into the curiosity and spontaneity of everyday life. The choice of location becomes just as important as the campaign itself, transforming familiar spaces into stages for unforgettable interactions.
Both Bad Bunny’s subway performance and Severance’s Grand Central takeover created a sense of community and exclusivity, two key ingredients for today’s audiences. Those who witnessed these events in person became part of something bigger.
The Future of Public Space Marketing
As audiences grow more resistant to traditional advertising, I anticipate more campaigns to take a page from these playbooks. Public space marketing offers something digital campaigns can’t always replicate: immediacy, emotion and a chance for people to stumble upon something unexpected in their everyday lives.
Whether it’s a concert underground or a dystopian office in a train station, one thing is clear: the best campaigns don’t just advertise, they create experiences. And in a world overloaded with content, those experiences are what stick.
Would you stop to take in a moment like this? Let us know in the comments and leave your reMARKs!
