Johnnie Walker +
The Locker Room
New York Is Dead
While the city emptied out, Johnnie Walker leaned in. This wasn’t about escape—it was about staying with the place that built them. The campaign reframed NYC’s grit as brand legacy, not brand risk.
Industry:
Spirits
Media
Advertising
Services:
Brand Design
Creative Direction
Typography
Strategy
While others fled, New York kept walking. Johnnie Walker's out-of-home campaign captured the city's unbreakable spirit—not just survival, but the raw energy of a culture that thrives on adversity.
New York Is Dead
“New York is dead” was the headline. The work said otherwise. Built a campaign that called bullshit on the panic and raised a glass to the people who stayed. Not just advertising—a rallying cry.
Media
Coverage
NBC New York
‘New York Is Dead. Don't Come Back': Billboard Rips Those Who Fled NYC Amid Pandemic
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New York Post
Billboard in Los Angeles tells transplants that ‘New York is Dead. Don’t Come Back.’
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CT Post
'New York Is Dead' billboard takes aim at those who fled city
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Timeout New York
NYC artists launch a full-scale creative response to "New York is Dead"
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The Independent
‘New York is dead. Don’t come back’: Billboards mock those who left city amid pandemic
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Let’s Make Magic →
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