Jay Sandusky

TransitChek is an employee benefit that guarantees to save New Yorkers every time they commute. These ads were launched in the wake of a fare hike, tapping into every New Yorker’s self-image as that special someone who’s more connected, more clever and more deserving than anyone else. 

Hollywood, bro websites and other cultural forces have made binge drinking a virtual rite of passage. This campaign aimed to scrape the romance from the experience and alert people to the dangers and humiliations of overdoing it. Our client at the NYC Dept. of Health called it the most effective campaign they’d ever done. The first two ads ran on subways throughout the city. The last was part of the pitch.

These are a few of the dozen or so executions that were part of a “Station Domination” we placed in train and bus stations that serve the Jersey Shore, home of Monmouth Park Racetrack. Knowing full well that the beach and boardwalk are the main attractions down The Shore, we aimed to have some fun making the track sound like the better destination. 

The Meadowlands PACE is one of the four major events in Harness Racing. Historically, though, it’s been overshadowed by The Hambletonian, also held at Meadowlands Racetrack. Our challenge was to give The PACE its own identity. I created the “Biggest Party in Harness Racing” positioning, which resulted in ads that generated near-record attendance and handle, and served to hip up the image of a sport often seen as old and weird. 

Sometimes your strategy is right there in the headline.

Attracting gamblers to the track isn’t enough to fill the seats. (Besides, they’re already coming.) To broaden the appeal of the track, we needed a broader approach. I recommended positioning the track as an entertainment option, with a dash of gambling thrown in. I’ve included ads for their five week Nighttime Thoroughbred season and another campaign for their main attraction, Harness Racing.

With its black tie service, leather banquettes, thick steaks and exceptional wine service, Meadowlands Racetrack has a certain “Old School” charm. To more truly capture the track’s throwback quality, we launched our rebranding effort with this “Weekend” campaign.