Tigers turn Big Apple orange
Students and alumni in New York City spot advertising campaign in Grand Central
Jesse Winter
Students who thrive at RIT dominated advertising space inside Grand Central Terminal and Station last spring. The campaign was made possible by Austin McChord ’09.
That familiar RIT orange covered the walls, poles, turnstiles, stairs, and digital boards of Grand Central in New York City throughout the holiday season. And so did many RIT faces.
An advertising campaign showcasing RIT’s creativity and innovation as a leading university took over Grand Central Terminal and Station, subway cars, and even some rail cars traveling to Westchester County and Connecticut. The campaign first ran in spring 2023.
The campaign showcased more than 60 of the unique artists, advocates, explorers, academics, and athletes who thrive together at RIT. RIT Trustee Austin McChord ’09 (bioinformatics), founder of tech company Datto and current CEO of Casana, funded the campaign. McChord said he hopes the campaign drives a connection between prospective students and the university.
“I gave a commencement speech a few years ago at RIT,” said McChord. “I told the graduates to make connections. And those connections will serve them for many years. I hope that if I can help even one student connect with RIT and all that it can offer, a school that helped me, then it’s worth it. That’s why putting RIT students front and center in this ad campaign made sense.”
New York City resident Kenneth Holley ’02 (information technology) was shocked and pleased to see the ads in Grand Central one day. As he admired the RIT takeover, he made a connection.
Last May, Kelly Weber, a fourth-year photographic and imaging arts major from Avon, N.Y., was with her parents taking pictures of the ad featuring her. Holley walked over to greet them.
“It was an incredible experience and I’ve had several positive exchanges when I see the RIT logo on community members, even when I wear it myself,” said Holley, who works as a consultant in Digital Transformation and Program Advisory Services. He also serves as director of leadership and strategy for the Metro New York Chapter of the National Black MBA Association.
“RIT’s logo represents Tiger Pride and I would love to see it more,” he said.
Weber was one of several students who represented RIT in the campaign who made a special trip to New York City to see their ads in person.
Double take
Some students walked through busy Grand Central to find their ads.
New York City resident Kenneth Holley ’02 (information technology) posed for a picture with Kelly Weber. “It was cool finding a connection with someone new in a busy place because of RIT,” Weber said.
Kelly Weber, fourth-year photographic and imaging arts major: “I went down with my family and as soon as I saw the RIT orange, I got super excited. It was like seeing a piece of home in a new place. It was a very busy area and a few of the people walking by did some double takes or gave me a thumbs up as I took photos.”
Sam Su, third-year photographic and imaging arts major: “Before I went to see the ad, a few of my friends from New York City had sent me pictures of themselves next to my photo. When I went to look for the photo, I thought it would be funny to wear the same shirt. I have always planned for my art to make it onto billboards and ads around cities like New York, so this is definitely a start to see myself first.”
Ben Thompson, fifth-year marketing major: “I took the New Haven line down to the city, so I rode in one of the cars plastered with RIT ads. Then the entire long overpass walking into Times Square had RIT everywhere. It took me about five minutes to find my photo. My parents stopped random people to say, ‘Hey look, it’s the same guy as in the photo.’”
Jayla Alston, fourth-year film and animation major: “My friends volunteered to drive with me so I could see it in person. It was such a surreal moment because when I was a little girl I used to visit the city with my mom all the time. She used to always make us take the subway and I just never imagined one day I would be on a poster down there.”
Ryan Bliss ’23 (mechanical engineering technology), ’23 MS (manufacturing and mechanical systems integration)—works at B&R Industrial Automation in Boston: “I was just an hour train ride away and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to take graduation photos with a poster of myself. I love that they advertised RIT with their own students and showed their interests and accomplishments.”