• by Fern Siegel , December 20, 2023

New York City is a big place. To remind visitors and New Yorkers alike of a key neighborhood, The Alliance for Downtown New York launched a new campaign.

The "Only Downtown" campaign by Wunderman Thompson contrasts images and headlines from key landmarks to the area’s newest hot spots. The out-of-home campaign runs throughout New York and on public transit.

The work is also meant to renew interest in Lower Manhattan for commercial real-estate decision-makers, positioning the area as a 21st-century central business district.

After 9/11, the area enjoyed two decades of steady growth, abruptly halted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, given the rise of remote work, corporations are more tentative about property investments.

To highlight the area's pluses, Wunderman Thompson revamped Lower Manhattan's image as an ideal place to live and work — in both a casual and cultural context.

OOH posters utilize its multifaceted attractions to highlight the neighborhood's singular aspects.

"Downtown Manhattan is such a special place with New York's oldest history and some of its newest cultural icons. Where else in the city, let along the world, are you spoiled with this juxtaposition of choice?" said Dominic Al-Samarraie, ECD, Wunderman Thompson, New York.

“Play Time” at pickleball courts is contrasted by the brand-new Performing Arts Center’s “Play Time.” “Work Hard,” showcasing commercial office building Brookfield Place, is followed by “Pray Hard” at Trinity Church. An image of the Freedom Tower: “1,776 Feet” pairs with George Washington’s “1776 Feat,” spotlighting his statue  at Federal Hall on Wall Street. And an “Everything” Bagel from Leo’s is paired with “Then Sum” at Dim Sum Palace, noting the dining choices in the area.

“The genius of this campaign is that we are able to speak with simplicity, verve and wit to multiple audiences. Whether it's a tourist, entrepreneur, resident, office worker or C-suite executive, we are reminding them all what an exciting place Lower Manhattan is to live, work and play,” Jessica Lappin, president of the Alliance for Downtown New York, told Agency Daily.