Following the announcement from New York’s Metropolitan Transit Authority that it plans to sell advertising on the front of the MetroCard, Wayne Congar and Brendan Bilko from the creative and branding consultancy Mayday Mayday Mayday have thought up a way for MetroCard advertising to be engaging and fun.

They have proposed the idea of turning the MetroCard into something more than just a travel pass. Instead each card could be part of a big puzzle, with each piece providing a small portion of a larger image. The aim is to give riders incentive to collect MetroCards or join with others to put them together, engaging them in an urban game.

We thought about how advertisers can create a campaign that changes commuters’ relationships with the MetroCard, where rather than purchasing any card, they’re hoping the one that comes out of the machine is a specific one, the missing piece of a billboard or window display or artwork.

Mayday Mayday Mayday developed four speculative campaigns for MetroCard advertising, to show how their idea could work. These included New Yorkers helping to announce a show at the New Museum and gain exclusive access, showing their support for a political campaign by creating a large billboard, helping a brand launch a new product and earning a discount, and making art and collaborating with the whole city.

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