Sanitation Foundation Case Study: “Don’t Do NYC Dirty”
Situation & Challenge
New Yorkers have always been fiercely proud - 83% say they love their city, yet nearly 4 in 10 admitted to littering before this campaign. That inconsistency created a credibility gap: how can a city that celebrates its grit and spirit live with streets that don’t reflect that same care?
We saw both an opportunity and a challenge:
Awareness of the Sanitation Foundation sat at 24% pre-campaign.
Littering behavior was stubborn, especially among younger residents and in boroughs like the Bronx and Queens.
Traditional “don’t litter” messaging had largely become background noise.
The Foundation didn’t need another PSA, we needed a culture shift, rooted in identity, belonging, and action.
“Don’t Do NYC Dirty” is a citywide campaign designed to shift long-standing littering habits by using messages that feel unmistakably New York, shaped by the voices, humor, and pride of real New Yorkers.
We made the campaign unavoidable in daily life, showing up across:
PR & Launch Events with citywide and national coverage
Street Activations with neighborhood partners
OOH: bus shelters, double-decker buses, garbage trucks, litter baskets, taxi tops, and cinemas
Broadcast: TV and radio in English and Spanish
Print: community newsletters and local publications
Social & Creator Partnerships, including content with @NewYorkNico
This multi-channel presence made “Don’t Do NYC Dirty” feel not just like a campaign, but part of city life—and the beginning of a genuine cultural movement.
The Approach
We grounded the campaign in a simple shared belief: New York deserves better.
Instead of traditional PSAs that talk at people, we built a campaign that felt like it came from New Yorkers—using the tone, attitude, and authenticity the city is known for.
Key elements included:
Using the voices New Yorkers trust
Creator partnerships and real local personalities such as small business owners, sanitation workers, neighborhood characters who delivered the message in a way that felt relatable, not preachy.@NewYorkNico (1.5M followers) helped introduce the campaign.
Borough heroes like Gorilla Nems fueled neighborhood resonance and drove an 18% lift in the channel’s audience with his content.
The Bronx Summer Cleanup Series became SF’s highest-performing organic content ever, culminating in a reshare from the New York Yankees (4.1M followers).
Turning the city itself into the media plan
Through donated placements, everyday objects became the canvas - garbage trucks, litter baskets, taxi tops, movie theaters, and more. The message met New Yorkers where they already were.Creative built to spark conversation
A bold, memorable message delivered with classic New York candor helped people see their own behavior differently and connect pride in the city to everyday actions.The Dirty Truth installation
A three-day street installation brought the city face-to-face with the tension between pride and behavior. It earned 43 media stories across citywide and local outlets and positioned the Foundation as a credible voice in the cleanliness and sustainability conversation.Pro bono creative collaboration
Working with Arnold Worldwide, the tone struck the right balance of humor, pride, and accountability—building a campaign that moved like a grassroots effort and became a cultural conversation driven by real New Yorkers.
The Results
The campaign proved that when messages reflect the city’s culture and people, they resonate—and they can meaningfully influence behavior.
$2.5M in donated media
147M+ impressions
43 stories at launch, including coverage in The New York Times, Bloomberg, NY1, Fox, and others
21% campaign recall within four months
Meaningful behavior change:
9% increase in reported non-litterers citywide
+15 points in Queens
+10 points in the Bronx
“Don’t Do NYC Dirty” shifted behavior at scale and proved that with the right insight and the right message, you can move an entire city without a major media budget.
