American Guerrilla Marketing
Nationwide serivce
Media planning, media buying, billboard advertising, & guerrilla marketing
American Guerrilla Marketing executes NYC subway advertising campaigns from concept to installation — interior car cards, station dominations, train wraps, street-level snipes, and sidewalk decals. Direct. No brokers.
American Guerrilla Marketing has executed transit campaigns across 25+ U.S. markets with over 500 campaigns to date — including music releases, fashion brand launches, tech app rollouts, and CPG activations. We are a direct execution partner, not a broker. That means transparent pricing, real accountability, and geo-tagged photo documentation on every install.
NYC subway advertising is the most efficient high-frequency media buy in the United States. With 3.4 million daily riders on 472 stations across 245 miles of track, no single out-of-home platform delivers the density, dwell time, or demographic diversity of the New York City subway system. Whether you’re a brand launching in the nation’s largest market or a challenger brand looking to create category noise, MTA subway ads are the backbone of any serious New York City advertising campaign.
This guide covers every format available on the NYC subway system, the top stations for advertising value, real-world campaign strategy examples, and how AGM layers in street-level guerrilla tactics — snipes and sidewalk decals — to create a full surround-sound advertising effect that follows your audience from the sidewalk to the platform to the car.
AGM builds NYC subway advertising campaigns that work — from interior car cards to full station dominations, backed by street-level snipes and sidewalk decals that extend your reach above ground. Direct execution. Transparent pricing. Proof-of-install documentation on every campaign.
Subway advertising in New York City works for one primary reason: captive, undistracted attention. When a rider descends into a station and boards a train, they’re entering a physical space where your brand is the only stimulus. There’s no algorithm filtering out your message. No feed to scroll past. Average subway dwell time — from entering the station to exiting at the destination — is 22 to 35 minutes, depending on the commute. That’s the equivalent of a 30-second TV spot played 40 times in a single trip.
NYC subway ads
reach everyone: tech workers commuting to Midtown, college students on the A train, tourists at Times Square, service workers on the 7, families in the outer boroughs. No other medium in New York delivers this cross-demographic saturation at a comparable CPM.
AGM has executed NYC subway advertising campaigns for music labels releasing debut albums, DTC brands launching nationally, streaming services acquiring subscribers, and fashion labels building awareness ahead of New York Fashion Week. Our 10+ years of direct execution experience means we know which formats perform, which stations over-deliver, and how to complement the media buy with street-level guerrilla tactics that amplify every dollar spent underground.
The workhorse of NYC subway ads. Horizontal panels displayed above the windows and doors inside subway cars. Standard sizes: 11″×28″ and 11″×42″. Riders sit or stand directly beneath them for the full duration of their commute. Available as full car buys (all panels in one car) or network buys across the entire system.
Best for:
Brand awareness, frequency, app downloads, streaming subscriptions, DTC launches.
27″×40″ posters positioned at eye level on subway platforms. Riders waiting for trains have sustained viewing time — often 2–8 minutes — making these high-value awareness units. Available at virtually every station in the system.
Best for:
Product launches, event promotions, local retail awareness.
Full-motion digital displays inside subway cars and on station platforms. Support video, animation, and real-time creative updates. Located at high-traffic stations throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens.
Best for:
Campaign launches requiring creative flexibility, brands running A/B creative tests, time-sensitive promotions.
The most powerful format in NYC subway advertising. A single brand takes over every ad surface in a station — platform posters, concourse walls, turnstile stickers, floor graphics, and digital screens. Available at major hubs including Times Square, Grand Central, Union Square, and Penn Station.
Best for:
Major product launches, brand repositioning, blockbuster entertainment releases.
Complete exterior wrapping of an entire subway train with brand creative. These moving billboards travel throughout the system, delivering massive reach and earned media attention. Interior brand trains take over all interior panels in every car.
Best for:
High-impact launches requiring cultural conversation, fashion, entertainment, luxury brands.
Backlit 67.5″×45″ displays in station concourses and mezzanines. Large-format, high-visibility placements that command attention as riders move through stations. Available in key Midtown and Downtown locations.
Best for:
Premium brand positioning, fashion, luxury, financial services.
Not all stations are created equal. These five deliver the highest strategic value for advertisers on the NYC subway system — and AGM has executed placements at all of them.
Why it delivers:
The single highest-ridership station in the entire MTA system, processing over 64 million riders annually. It’s a convergence point for tourists, commuters, and theatergoers — delivering an unmatched audience mix 24 hours a day. Times Square is the only station in the system where a station domination generates significant earned media simply by existing.
Formats available:
Full station domination (all ad surfaces), digital screens, platform two-sheets, dioramas, turnstile stickers, floor graphics.
Advertiser strategy example:
A major streaming platform launching a flagship original series would buy the full Times Square station domination plus interior car cards on all A/C/E and 1/2/3 trains, ensuring every commuter who passes through sees the campaign within hours of the episode drop.
AGM street layer:
9×12 snipe posters on scaffolding, construction fences, and utility poles within 100 feet of every entrance on 42nd Street and 7th Avenue. Sidewalk vinyl decals at the top of all below-ground staircases driving foot traffic directly into the branded station experience. QR codes on all snipes and decals link to the campaign landing page.
Why it delivers:
Grand Central is the gateway station for Metro-North commuters entering the subway system, meaning it captures a distinct, high-income professional audience. Over 45 million subway riders pass through annually, plus millions of Metro-North rail passengers. The demographic skews 35–55, college-educated, household income Contact AGM for pricing
Formats available:
Station domination, platform two-sheets, dioramas, digital displays, interior car cards on 4/5/6 local and express lines.
Advertiser strategy example:
A luxury financial services brand or premium credit card launching a new product would buy a Grand Central station domination combined with dioramas in the 4/5/6 platform concourse and interior car cards on express trains — targeting the exact commuter profile that makes financial decisions.
AGM street layer:
Snipe posters on bus shelters and poles on 42nd Street between Lexington and Vanderbilt. Sidewalk decals on Park Avenue South and Lexington Avenue staircases with directional messaging reinforcing the underground brand presence.
Why it delivers:
Union Square sits at the intersection of Manhattan’s young professional, creative, and retail demographics. It’s the transfer hub for the L train — the primary artery for Brooklyn-to-Manhattan commuters — and delivers a tech-forward, culturally engaged audience aged 22–40. It’s consistently ranked among the top five busiest stations and is heavily trafficked by media, fashion, and tech industry workers.
Formats available:
Station domination, platform two-sheets, digital screens, interior car cards on L, 4/5/6, and N/Q/R/W lines.
Advertiser strategy example:
A DTC consumer app launching in New York would buy a Union Square station domination plus full car buys on the L train (reaching the Williamsburg/Bushwick commuter), layering in digital panels for video creative.
AGM street layer:
Snipes at every exit on 14th Street and at the Union Square Park entrance stairwells. Sidewalk decals at the 14th Street/4th Avenue corner pointing toward the station entrances. QR codes drive to the app download page.
Why it delivers:
Herald Square is the epicenter of Midtown retail — adjacent to Macy’s flagship and Penn Station. It captures mass consumer foot traffic, outer-borough commuters, and tourists on a single platform. The demographic mix is broader than Grand Central but higher in retail intent, making it ideal for consumer product brands.
Formats available:
Platform two-sheets, digital screens, dioramas, station domination, interior car cards.
Advertiser strategy example:
A CPG brand launching a new snack product would own Herald Square with a station domination timed to the back-to-school or holiday season, when retail foot traffic peaks, reinforcing in-store availability at nearby Macy’s.
AGM street layer:
Snipe posters on construction scaffolding along 34th Street between 6th and 8th Avenues. Sidewalk decals at the Broadway and 34th Street entrance directing shoppers into the branded underground experience.
Why it delivers:
Atlantic Terminal is the largest transit hub in Brooklyn and the gateway to Barclays Center, capturing sports and concert event traffic alongside daily commuters from the entire Brooklyn and outer-borough network. It’s a rare station that delivers both mass daily ridership and high-intent event-night audiences.
Formats available:
Platform two-sheets, station domination, digital screens, interior car cards on multiple lines.
Advertiser strategy example:
A sports apparel brand or beverage company sponsoring a Barclays Center event series would buy Atlantic Terminal station domination for event weeks plus interior car cards on all 2/3 and B/D trains.
AGM street layer:
Snipes on Atlantic Avenue poles and scaffolding from 4th Avenue to Flatbush. Sidewalk decals at the Flatbush Avenue entrance leading from street level directly into the station’s branded environment.
| Advertising Format | Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Interior Car Cards | Contact AGM for pricing | Rates set by transit authority media vendor. Not publicly listed. |
| Full Interior Car Takeover | Contact AGM for pricing | Rates set by transit authority media vendor. Not publicly listed. |
| 2-Sheet Station Posters | Contact AGM for pricing | Rates set by transit authority media vendor. Not publicly listed. |
| Platform Large Panels | Contact AGM for pricing | Rates set by transit authority media vendor. Not publicly listed. |
| Digital Station Screens | Contact AGM for pricing | Rates set by transit authority media vendor. Not publicly listed. |
| Digital Network Package | Contact AGM for pricing | Rates set by transit authority media vendor. Not publicly listed. |
| Exterior Train Side Wrap | Contact AGM for pricing | Rates set by transit authority media vendor. Not publicly listed. |
| Full Train Wrap | Contact AGM for pricing | Rates set by transit authority media vendor. Not publicly listed. |
| Standard Station Takeover | Contact AGM for pricing | Rates set by transit authority media vendor. Not publicly listed. |
| Premium Station Takeover | Contact AGM for pricing | Rates set by transit authority media vendor. Not publicly listed. |
Transit advertising rates are not published publicly by any major U.S. transit authority or their media concessionaires (Outfront Media, Intersection, Lamar, Vector Media). Pricing is determined by format, market, inventory availability, contract length, and season. Contact AGM for a custom quote — we work directly with every major transit media vendor and can confirm exact inventory and pricing for your market.
NYC subway advertising operates through Outfront Media and Intersection (now part of Intersection Media Co.), the MTA’s official concessionaires. AGM works directly within these systems to plan and execute buys at transparent, no-broker-markup pricing. Below are representative cost ranges for guidance:
These are media costs only. Production — printing, fabrication, and installation — is additional. AGM handles all production and installation in-house, with transparent line-item pricing on every proposal.
The MTA operates on a structured advertising calendar. Understanding lead times is critical to executing a campaign without missing your launch window:
NYC subway advertising is not just a media buy — it’s a cultural statement. When your brand is inside a subway car or dominating a station, you’re embedded in the daily life of millions of New Yorkers. That earned cultural relevance translates directly to awareness, credibility, and sales velocity in ways that digital-only campaigns cannot replicate.
AGM’s approach to transit advertising in New York
is built on 10+ years of direct execution experience. We don’t subcontract. We don’t broker. We plan, produce, and install — and we document everything with geo-tagged photography so you can see exactly where your campaign ran, on what date, and in what condition.
The most effective NYC subway advertising campaigns don’t stop at the platform. AGM layers street-level guerrilla tactics — snipe posters and sidewalk vinyl decals — to create a surround-sound brand experience that captures riders before they descend underground and reinforces messaging after they resurface.
Heavy card stock or vinyl posters applied to utility poles, scaffolding uprights, construction fences, and wall surfaces within 100 feet of subway station entrances. Placed at eye level, these intercept pedestrians in the exact moment they’re approaching the station — building frequency with riders who are already exposed to your underground campaign.
Every AGM snipe includes a QR code that drives directly to your campaign landing page, app download, or product page. We geo-tag each install and provide photo documentation.
Large-format vinyl decals applied to sidewalk surfaces at the top of subway entrance staircases, on turnstile approaches, and on the floors of high-traffic concourses. These underfoot placements create a physical brand interaction — riders literally step into your campaign as they descend into the station.
Sidewalk decals are particularly effective for campaigns with directional messaging (“Now Available Below”), countdown creative (album drop, product launch dates), or visual continuity from an above-ground poster campaign.
Every snipe and sidewalk decal in an AGM campaign includes a tracked QR code linked to a dedicated campaign landing page. This creates a measurable data layer on top of physical guerrilla placements — you can track how many street-level impressions converted to page visits, app downloads, or purchases.
We use unique QR codes per location so you can identify which stations are driving the most engagement and optimize placements in real time.
The strategic logic behind combining subway advertising with street-level snipes and decals: a rider encounters your brand three to five times before they complete their commute. At street level (snipe on pole), at the staircase (sidewalk decal), on the platform (two-sheet poster), inside the car (car card), and again at their destination station (platform poster). Each touchpoint reinforces the last, compressing the awareness-to-consideration timeline dramatically.
AGM has documented 40–70% higher aided recall rates on campaigns that combine underground media buys with street-level snipe and decal programs versus subway-only campaigns.
| Format | Quantity | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9×12 Snipes (Standard) | 400 snipes | $4,500 | Installation, placement maps, geo-tagged reporting |
| 9×12 Snipes (Standard) | 800 snipes | $5,500 | Installation, placement maps, geo-tagged reporting |
| 11×14 Jumbo Snipes | 400 snipes | $6,500 | Installation, placement maps, geo-tagged reporting |
| 11×14 Jumbo Snipes | 800 snipes | $7,500 | Installation, placement maps, geo-tagged reporting |
| Sidewalk Vinyl Decals | 10 decals | $3,404 | Installation, geo-tagged reporting |
| Sidewalk Vinyl Decals | 80 decals | $4,998 | Installation, geo-tagged reporting |
| Sidewalk Vinyl Decals | 30 decals | $6,373 | Installation, geo-tagged reporting |
| Sidewalk Vinyl Decals | 50 decals | $8,709 | Installation, geo-tagged reporting |
| Sidewalk Stencils (paint, chalk, or pressure) | 10 stencils | $3,231 | Design, application, documentation |
| Sidewalk Stencils (paint, chalk, or pressure) | 50 stencils | $6,982 | Design, application, documentation |
| Transit Station Surround Package | 400 snipes + 80 decals | $10,000 | Full deployment at station entrances, QR tracking on all units, geo-tagged documentation report |
Wheatpaste poster campaigns are Contact AGM for pricing. For wheatpaste campaigns, large format 48×72 posters start at $10,500 (100 large format 48×72 posters, 2 weeks). 72-hour rush fee: +50%. Multi-market and custom volume pricing available. Contact AGM for a custom quote.
Experience:
AGM has executed over 500 transit and guerrilla advertising campaigns since 2013. Our subway advertising work spans music industry clients (major label album campaigns, independent artist rollouts), fashion brands (NYFW activations, DTC launches), tech companies (app launches, B2C growth campaigns), and CPG brands (product launches, seasonal promotions). We have run subway campaigns in every borough of New York City, including deep outer-borough placements that most agencies won’t touch.
Expertise:
We know the MTA system operationally — not just theoretically. We understand which lines over-deliver on specific demographics, which stations have limited inventory that books out early, and how to structure a buy that maximizes impressions within a given budget. Our media planning is data-driven: we use MTA ridership data, demographic overlays, and campaign performance benchmarks from our proprietary campaign database.
Authority:
AGM is a direct execution partner, not a media broker or reseller. We have established working relationships with the MTA’s advertising concessionaires and can execute buys, manage production, and install campaigns with a single point of contact. Brands working with brokers often pay 15–30% in hidden fees and lose creative control. AGM eliminates both problems.
Trust:
Every AGM campaign includes geo-tagged photo documentation of every installed placement — snipe, decal, car card, or station domination panel. You receive a proof-of-install report within 48 hours of campaign launch. We provide transparent, line-item pricing on every proposal. No surprises.
Costs range from approximately Rates Contact AGM for pricing. ransparent, no-markup pricing on every proposal with clear line items for media, production, and installation.
A focused, single-line interior car card buy (50–100 panels) plus a handful of platform two-sheet posters can be executed for available at official AGM rates. Adding street-level
Standard interior car card campaigns require 3–4 weeks from artwork approval. Station dominations require 6–10 weeks. Digital units can go live in 2–3 weeks. AGM can expedite some formats — contact us about rush timelines for time-sensitive launches.
Yes. AGM offers full creative production services including copywriting, design, and print production for all subway ad formats. We have in-house designers experienced in MTA spec requirements and can produce print-ready files for all standard formats.
Snipe posters placed on private property (construction scaffolding, fences) with property owner permission are legal. Sidewalk decals use chalk-based or removable vinyl compounds approved for temporary placement. AGM manages all permitting and placement compliance — we know exactly what’s permissible in each borough and each specific location.
