Best FOOH ad examples in New York

New York City, offers the ultimate playground for Fake Out Of Home advertising – the rising digital ad format that combines real-world environments with immersive CGI animation. With every skyscraper, street corner, and landmark instantly recognizable worldwide, FOOH advertising here capitalizes on a city built for spectacle and scale.

With 8 million residents and over 60 million annual visitors, the Big Apple receives a constant flow of eyeballs. A melting pot of industries, stories, and cultures, the city serves as the perfect backdrop for bold, innovative FOOH campaigns that stand out amidst the sea of predictable and repetitive marketing trends.

In this article, we’ll highlight the best FOOH ads in NYC that broke through the noise and made an impact even beyond the streets (and screens) of the city. We’ll explore what made them successful, how they leveraged the city’s iconic locations, and the key takeaways for future campaigns.

8 Unforgettable NYC FOOH Ads

From the iconic Times Square to the steps of the Met, New York offers a versatile range of premium FOOH locations few cities can compete with. CGI ads thrive here because the city itself is cinematic. 

Each of these campaigns made the most of NYC’s energy, and stood out with smart concepts, bold visuals, and clever use of location.

1. Maybelline’s Metallic Mascara Tram on Bleecker Street

No list of standout FOOH campaigns in New York is complete without Maybelline. With its headquarters in NYC since 1996, the iconic beauty brand has used the city as a canvas for some of the most famous and hyperreal fake out-of-home executions — and is widely considered one of the pioneers of the format. 

In this 2023 example, part of the launch for their Falsies Surreal Mascara, a mascara-shaped tram cruises through Bleecker Street, its mirrored body reflecting the city as it moves. It doesn’t feature any famous landmarks - just a regular NYC block - but the ad’s slick realism had viewers convinced it was real, with comments calling it “the best ad ever.” On its marketing for Instagram, it racked up over 3 million views and 143,000 likes.

What makes it so effective is how it proves a FOOH ad doesn’t always need an expensive location to go viral. Even a quiet corner of New York can become a stage when the execution is sharp. The Instagram caption: “Are your lashes even real?!” perfectly echoed the viewer’s reaction: confused, amazed, and completely drawn into the illusion. It’s a case study in how product, platform, and setting can align to deliver FOOH that sticks.

2. Graza’s Floating Bottles Tower Over NYC Streets

A balloon ad in NYC sounds completely unoriginal at this point – so overdone it’s a top CGI cliché used in FOOH ads. But this 2023 Graza spot made it witty, fresh, and completely on brand. As a nod to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, two massive bottle-shaped balloons, modeled after Graza’s Sizzle and Drizzle olive oils, float down 6th Avenue, weaving between buildings and hovering above the streets.

With over 101,000 views and 4,500 likes, this FOOH ad is anything but ordinary. What makes it work is the tone, and smart use of scale: it feels native to NYC’s culture of spectacle while still grounded in something relatable. 

Need more reasons to add FOOH ad to your marketing arsenal? Here’s a simple guide to help you sell the idea to your clients and get them excited.

3. Victoria’s Secret Holiday Trains Arrive Downtown

This next ad on the list turns the charm of the Big Apple’s chaotic (yet beloved) subway system into a fun Christmas FOOH ad. Victoria’s Secret gave the underground a holiday glow-up in this 2023 ad, where sleighs pull into a subway platform as a glossy, gift-packed train wrapped in the brand’s signature pink and white stripes.

8.3 million people used the New York subway system every day in 2023. And it’s become such an iconic part of the city that even people who’ve never ridden it still recognize its gritty, magnetic charm.

This FOOH ad plays perfectly into that cultural touchstone - cheeky, sparkly, and right on brand. With over 4.7 million views, 238,000 likes, and top comments like “Finally a ride that’s worth $2.90”, it’s a seasonal hit that knows exactly where it’s going.

Want more festive FOOH? This is just one of several campaigns sleighing the season. Check out these 6 FOOH Christmas ads that will redefine holiday marketing in 2025.

4. Lady Liberty Steps Up To Bat For DKNY’s Yankees Season Opener

Next up: a home run of a FOOH ad that blends New York pride and sports culture. In this DKNY campaign, the Statue of Liberty grabs a giant baseball bat and swings it with full force, sending a branded ball soaring across the city skyline. It finally lands - where else? - in the middle of a packed Yankee Stadium.

Timed with the Yankees’ 123rd season opener, this ad is a bold reminder of the brand’s long-standing slogan: “The official uniform of New York.” With over 1,500 likes, it’s a perfect example of how DKNY continues to tap into the spirit of the city: loud, proud, and larger than life.

5. Empire State Building Bundles Up In North Face For JD Sports

New York is no stranger to brutal winters or bold fashion. In this next ad, JD Sports and The North Face lean into both – zipping the Empire State Building into a massive black puffer jacket, arms tucked and collar high like it’s braving a snowstorm in style.

It’s an unexpected yet fitting twist: a nod to the city’s freezing temps, its obsession with fashion, and its love for turning the ordinary into a statement.

No wonder it racked up over 1 million views on Instagram: Where else but New York would a skyscraper know how to dress for the weather?

6. Rabanne Turns Manhattan’s Food Carts Into Massive Perfume Bottles

This Rabanne FOOH ad gives an everyday NYC street a golden glow-up. With a snap of the fingers, a humble food cart, hotdog truck, and doughnut stand morph into towering versions of the Million Gold fragrance bottles, complete with signature chain links.

It works because it taps into a few very New York classics: food trucks (with over 20,000 mobile vendors across the five boroughs) are a staple of the city’s streets. Pair that with Manhattan’s mix of grit and glam, and you’ve got the perfect backdrop for a fragrance FOOH ad. 

The snap and chain transformation is a clever visual tie-in to the perfume’s own design, turning a familiar scenery into something that feels both luxurious yet unmistakably local.

Looking for more examples like this? Browse the world’s biggest FOOH library and see what’s making waves.

7. Apple Store Pinks Balls Rolling Out in NYC

Home to Wall Street, the Big Apple is a global hub for tech, finance, and media. This is a city where product drops are as much about the spectacle as the specs, setting the perfect stage for the next FOOH ad on our list.

With fans long clamoring for the return of the pink iPhone model, this ad leans all the way in. It’s playful and in tune with the brand, turning a simple feature drop into a full-blown event. With 7.7 million views and over 354,000 likes, it’s clear: in New York, even a color drop can cause a splash.

8. Lady Liberty Shows Off Victoria Beckham Bag In VB Global Takeover

The last ad on this list features Victoria Beckham’s chain tote bags making a fashionable splash across NYC, with one even held by the Statue of Liberty. The bags drop into famous locations across the city, mirroring the launch of her new collection: stylish, and perfectly in sync with New York’s fashion pulse.

With over 1 million views on Instagram, this ad perfectly captures what ads shot in NYC today strives for: big, bold, and ready to make a statement in every corner of the city.

Wrap Up

New York City is built for FOOH. With its mix of fashion, tech, food, and culture – all layered over a skyline that’s instantly recognizable – it’s the perfect stage for FOOH ads. There’s history, there’s hype, and millions of eyeballs recognizing the city’s iconic locations.

And while major players like Apple and Victoria’s Secret have made the most of it, New York’s cultural gravity means smaller brands can get noticed too. A sharp idea, the right timing, and clever use of the city’s visual language can turn even a modest campaign into a viral moment. In this city, it’s fair game for anyone with something bold to say.

As FOOH evolves, NYC will keep leading the charge - where creativity meets a dynamic and an ever-changing environment, and every brand, big or small, has a chance to make its mark.

Looking for more inspiration? Explore our FOOH ad library.