Friend, the San Francisco-based leader in commercial wearable artificial intelligence, recently launched a ground-breaking advertising campaign. They plan to invest more than $1 million in this brave new direction. The campaign’s goal is to bring its ground-breaking device, which it’s calling Friend, to market. Retrofitted onto the bustling streets of New York City! Avi Schiffman, the 21-year-old CEO of Friend, plans to change that. It uses every advertising medium imaginable subway-wide from video monitors to exit signage.
The creative campaign features over 11,000 ads plastered across subway cars. It features 1,000 platform posters and 130 bus shelter urban panels scattered throughout the city. Perhaps most strikingly, some subway stations—such as the very busy West 4th Street—feature a significant number of ads. This popular, widespread outreach is already indicative of Friend’s passion to establish its wearable AI device, Friend, as a household name.
Schiffman purposely left a lot of white space in the ads. That was a conscious decision to incite some social critique and conversation in the audience. And that’s because New Yorkers are going to bring a very specific perspective to this whole AI conversation. It’s my contention that people in New York hate AI more than anywhere in the country,” he added ruefully. This feeling drove the design and approach of the campaign.
Schiffman argues that this campaign is a first for the AI field.
“This is the world’s first major AI campaign” – Schiffman
Subway cars, platform posters, and bus panels are an important component of our strategy. They are reimagining how to effectively engage a diverse audience within one of the world’s busiest and complex transit systems. The ads not only promote the wearable AI device but aim to engage the community in conversation about technology’s role in daily life.
Friend’s initiative is remarkable not only for its size, but its level of engagement. By incorporating white space in its advertising, the company encourages viewers to reflect on their relationship with technology and AI. This open-hearted yet cautious approach can go a long way towards reconciling the doubters and the adopters of promising AI innovations.
As New York City embraces this bold venture, it remains to be seen how residents will respond to Friend’s presence in their daily commutes. The campaign is a historic investment to support this growing industry and change the way the public thinks about artificial intelligence.
