State of Respect
When COVID-19 besieged the United States, New York State emerged as the global "ground zero" for a deadly contagion that threatened the livelihoods of millions.
We set out to make a difference.
Inspired by the actions of a resilient community, we worked with Conquistadors, to create a colorful campaign that turned the outline of New York State into a mask.
The hope was to inspire residents of New York to remain diligent about wearing face coverings in order to “stop the spread” of the coronavirus.
A campaign that started as a passion project, turned into an initiative that was featured across 8,000 MTA, Metro North, and LIRR locations, contributing to a 97% rate of mask compliance among ridership.
In an effort to appeal to a broad demographic, Versus identified an eclectic collection of industry creatives and assembled a team of artists that had a wide range of styles, from photo illustration and cubist, to geometric and illustrative, as well as diversity across age, gender and race. Each artist was challenged to save lives and help a city come back to life through their art; each responded with their own unique sense of purpose and optimism.
As each piece rolled in, the State of NY quickly became a clear “State of Respect” between the art and its purpose.
Art Directors Club: Cube Winner
The One Show: Merit Award x 2
Fast Company: World Changing Ideas
CA Award Of Excellence
Cannes Lions: Finalist
This campaign won a few prestigious awards.
