The Challenge
As the Official Bank of the TCS NYC Marathon, Citizens needed to show up in a crowded sponsor field and become part of the moment.
The Insight
Everyone in New York, runner or not, has a marathon story. That’s what makes it more than an athletic event. It’s an inspiring spectacle and a mirror for the city, in which moments of ambition, resilience and triumph are commonplace. With 14 branches located along the route, Citizens is here for all of it. That became the platform: Made for NYC Moments.
What We Did
The visual system began with racing stripes. The stripes were a reinterpretation of existing brand assets, Citizens’ “journey lines,” symbolizing steadfast presence over time. We set them at an angle to evoke energy and forward progress. In Subway OOH, that same angle was applied to green slants, juxtaposing everyday “NYC Moments” with their marathon equivalents.
We also designed official Team Citizens apparel in partnership with New Balance, translating the racing stripe system into a wearable form for runners and volunteers. At the Pre-Race Expo, a “Citizens NYC Moments” booth featured an immersive “Times Square” of displays and a digital ticker for fan-contributed messages of support. Social content used a stop-motion effect to highlight emotion, featuring Team Citizens and sideline supporters.
The Results
67MM+ OOH Impressions
9.5MM+ Social Media Engagements (+28% YoY)
68,530 Sponsorship Page Visits (+154% YoY)
General-population awareness of Citizens’ association with the marathon rose +17 ppts YoY.
Personal Note
I ran the 2025 NYC Marathon the same year I art directed this campaign. You could say it was my quintessential NYC moment.
My Role: Concept & Art Director
Highlights
Race day footage of the campaign in the wild from a NYRR x Citizens partnership video.
Taxi Toppers
Taxi toppers ran across the city in the weeks leading up to race day, turning every cab into a moving billboard. The format put the racing stripes in motion across the streets of New York, mirroring the runners they were built to celebrate.
OOH - Subway Liveboards
The “Made for NYC moments” concept came to life on screens at the 59th Street Columbus Circle Subway Station, near the finish line. These screens showcased juxtapositions of everyday moments in New York City with corresponding moments related to the Marathon.
OOH - Transit Shelters & Newsstands
It was pretty surreal running past my work displayed on bus shelters located along the Marathon route, and throughout the rest of the city.
Social
We made video content to generate excitement for the race and hype the sponsorship. We prominently featured members of Team Citizens, as well as those cheering from the sidelines, and used a “stop-motion/gif” effect to emphasize the intensity of emotion on display. Many of our Citizens colleagues also shared the videos themselves through an easy advocacy platform.
Landing Pages
We partnered with an external agency (Miller Zell) to design citizensnycmoments.com, where fans could send messages of support to the runners. We also worked with the in-house web devs on the imagery and copy for citizensbank.com/runNYC, the official Marathon sponsorship page on the Citizens website.
Pre-Race Expo Activation (Javits Center)
We partnered with Miller Zell to design an interactive “Citizens NYC Moments” booth at the Javits Center Pre-Race Expo. We made sure the build matched the rest of the campaign, featuring the signature racing stripes and angular green color blocks. This was also where a digital ticker displayed messages of encouragement and support for the athletes, submitted by attendees and fans.
Taxi Wraps
We offered runners a free ride in a wrapped taxi from the Javits Center Pre-Race Expo, so they could save their energy for race day. As a designer, it was a thrill to see my work in real life and on the road. As a runner, the free ride was much appreciated.
Bus Wraps
Double-decker busses wrapped in Citizens green and featuring our campaign’s racing stripes were strategically parked at the Start Line and the Citizens Cheer Zone located at Mile 12. You couldn’t miss them.
Team Citizens Apparel and Accessories
In partnership with New Balance, I designed the official Team Citizens singlet and volunteer long-sleeve worn at the 2025 TCS NYC Marathon. The pieces translated the campaign’s racing stripe system into a wearable form, extending the brand from bus wraps to body. Runners wore the singlet through all five boroughs. Volunteers wore the long-sleeve at the Javits Pre-Race Expo and Cheer Zone at Mile 12.
Finished.
I think I earned my racing stripes … and a beer or two.
Credits
Concept: Andrew Ralston Smith & Val Maass
Art Director: Andrew Ralston Smith
Copywriter: Val Maass
Video Editor: Katie Covino
Production Designer: Jess Boudreau
Photography/Retouching: Alex Champoli
