DAVID BOWIE IS was the critically acclaimed David Bowie exhibition that ended its five-year run around the world at the Brooklyn Museum. As lead sponsor, Spotify wanted to celebrate the music icon, who was himself a New York resident until his death two years ago.
David Bowie is on Spotify.
David Bowie is… is more immersive than your usual museum retrospective, painstakingly tracing the life and career of one of the most influential and inscrutable icons of pop culture via a blend of photography, film, fashion, audio narration, artifacts and ephemera, and, of course, music.
Spotify’s partnership with the exhibition is more than just a sponsorship, reinforcing our commitment to being the #1 partner to creators. In close partnership with the museum and Bowie’s estate, we’re extending the celebration of a legendary artist by enhancing the onsite experience for fans, and scaling it beyond the walls of the museum through immersive media and content touchpoints.
CONCEPT
Looking at the emotional images of street-side tributes that followed the days after his death, we realized that New Yorkers had a special place in their heart for him. And we knew the feeling was mutual: “I’ve had an obsession with this city since I was 17,” he was quoted as saying. Bowie lived in the Soho neighborhood of Manhattan for the last twenty years of his life - recording music, but also just walking the streets and taking the subway.
So the idea was to celebrate the way New York helped to shape him, and the artistic legacy of his relationship with the city. To do this, we took over his local subway station, Broadway-Lafayette, and transformed it into a temporary museum exhibit.
DESIGN
DAVID BOWIE IS HERE featured over 40 unique pieces about the music icon’s life in the neighborhood and New York City. Each piece was accompanied by a museum-style description card, which provided historical context, how many feet from the station the landmark was, and a Spotify code so commuters could listen to the David Bowie song it inspired.
“I’ve had an obsession with this city since I was 17,”
The work covered a spectrum as broad as Bowie’s category-defying career, including never-before-seen images from photographers such as Mick Rock and Masayoshi Sukita, personal artifacts from his Archive, newly commissioned illustrations from longtime collaborators, and a 150-ft anamorphic centerpiece that showed Bowie from two eras. 250,000 David Bowie Metrocards, available only at Broadway-Lafayette, only furthered the excitement of fans.
RESULT
Reached over 8.2M consumers in 24 hours.
Spread to 7.2M additional consumers
1,650+ mentions on social
Press
Hypebeast: New York City Issues David Bowie Subway Cards
I-D Vice: you can buy david bowie nyc subway cards now
Live For Live Music: New York City Launches David Bowie Subway Cards
Music Times: New York City Pays Tribute To David Bowie With Limited-Edition MetroCards
NBC 4 NY: David Bowie Art Installation Takes Over New York City Subway Station
NBC 4 NY: David Bowie-Branded MetroCards Have New Yorkers Lining the Subway to Buy Them
NBC 5 Chicago: David Bowie Art Installation Takes Over New York City Subway Station
Newsweek: DAVID BOWIE METROCARD: HOW TO GET ONE FOR NYC SUBWAY
NME: New York City brings in David Bowie subway cards
New York Post: MTA announces limited edition David Bowie MetroCards
PAPER: David Bowie Has Overrun New York City
Pitchfork: New York City Rolls Out David Bowie Subway Cards
PSFK: Spotify’s Subway Takeover Welcomes NYC Into The World Of David Bowie
Secret NYC: This David Bowie Tribute Is Taking Over The NYC Subway
Sputnik: Station to Station: David Bowie Installation Takes Over NYC Subway (PHOTOS)
Stereogum: David Bowie Takes Over NYC Subway
The Drum: Spotify puts David Bowie in perspective for Subway display
The Fader: David Bowie honored with limited edition MetroCards
Thrillist: THE NYC SUBWAY IS SELLING DAVID BOWIE-THEMED METROCARDS. HERE'S HOW TO GET THEM.
TimeOut New York: A David Bowie installation is taking over an NYC subway station
Tone Deaf: David Bowie subway cards have been introduced in New York City
Variety: Inside Spotify’s Massive David Bowie ‘Subway Takeover’ (Photos)
Washington Post: In New York City, following in David Bowie’s footsteps
WSBuzz: Inside Spotify’s Massive David Bowie ‘Subway Takeover’ (Photos)
KEY MEDIA SOCIALS
CREDITS
INTERNAL / IN-HOUSE AGENCY
Spotify In-House / New York
ART DIRECTOR Erik Herrstrom Rainy Fu Angeline Toh CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER Alex Bodman CHIEF DESIGN OFFICER Rasmus Wangelin CREATIVE DIRECTOR Noel Yeo Bruno Luglio DESIGNER Will Oswin EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Belinda Lopez