Friend AI Startup Invests Over $1 Million in Subway Advertising Blitz
Key Points
- Friend spent over $1 million on a subway advertising campaign in New York City.
- The campaign includes more than 11,000 train‑car cards, 1,000 platform posters, and 130 urban panels.
- CEO Avi Schiffman called the effort a “huge gamble” and emphasized its intent to spark conversation.
- The $129 wearable AI device has faced criticism for potential surveillance concerns.
- Ads have been vandalized with messages condemning surveillance capitalism.
- The initiative marks one of the largest print‑based AI advertising pushes to date.
Friend, a wearable AI startup, has poured more than $1 million into a massive subway advertising campaign across New York City. The effort features over 11,000 cards on train cars, 1,000 platform posters and 130 urban panels, creating a dominant visual presence in stations such as West 4th Street. CEO Avi Schiffman told Adweek the campaign is a high‑risk gamble aimed at sparking conversation about the device, which retails for $129. The ads have drawn mixed reactions, including vandalism and criticism from Wired, highlighting the tension between innovative AI products and public concerns about surveillance.
Campaign Scale and Investment
Friend, a startup that markets a wearable AI device, has undertaken an unprecedented advertising push on the New York City subway system. According to statements made to Adweek, the company allocated more than $1 million for the campaign. The rollout includes more than 11,000 printed cards placed inside subway cars, 1,000 posters on station platforms, and 130 urban panels across the network. Certain stations, most notably West 4th Street, are heavily saturated with the white‑space ads, making the brand virtually unavoidable for commuters.
Marketing Strategy and Public Reaction
CEO Avi Schiffman described the effort as “a huge gamble,” acknowledging that the company’s financial resources are limited. He noted that the purpose of the extensive white‑space design is to provoke public discussion about the product and its broader implications. The wearable device, priced at $129, has already attracted criticism from technology publications such as Wired, which labeled it a potential tool for constant surveillance. Some of the subway ads have been defaced with messages condemning “surveillance capitalism” and urging commuters to “get real friends.” Schiffman admitted that New Yorkers tend to be skeptical of AI, and the campaign intentionally capitalizes on that sentiment to generate buzz.
Implications for AI Advertising
The Friend subway campaign represents one of the largest print‑based advertising efforts for an AI product to date. By saturating a major public transit system, the company is testing how far visual exposure can influence consumer perception in a market that is wary of data‑driven technologies. The mixed response—ranging from curiosity to outright vandalism—highlights the challenges AI firms face when introducing products that intersect with privacy concerns. While the financial outlay is significant, the outcome may provide valuable insights into how aggressive, high‑visibility marketing can shape public discourse around emerging AI devices.