Overview

The OMNY (One Metro New York) rebrand was a pivotal transformation for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), replacing the decades-old MetroCard with a sleek, contactless payment system. This redesign wasn't just about launching new technology—it was about modernizing the transit experience while ensuring accessibility, ease of use, and public trust.

Branding Strategy

The OMNY brand was designed to be modern, intuitive, and reflective of New York City’s fast-paced, ever-evolving nature. The identity system needed to communicate efficiency, accessibility, and security while appealing to a diverse population of daily commuters, tourists, and occasional riders.

Logo & Visual Identity

Typography

The OMNY wordmark is clean, bold, and geometric, ensuring high readability. The sans-serif typeface aligns with modern digital brands, signaling a forward-thinking approach.

Color Palette

OMNY’s color scheme was predominantly black and white, with the re-brand, it was changed to colorful images with bold text. Using mainly vibrant green’s, blue’s, purple’s and yellow’s.

Iconography

he branding includes simple, universally recognizable icons for payment methods (contactless cards, mobile wallets) to ensure clarity across different user demographics.

Marketing & Awareness Campaign

The transition from MetroCard to OMNY required a massive public education effort. The marketing campaign needed to reach both tech-savvy riders and those unfamiliar with contactless payments.

Phase 1

Pre-Launch Awareness (Building Anticipation)

Teaser Campaigns

Ads across subway stations and buses displayed this "new way to pay,".

Social Media & Digital Content

With the MTA, we leveraged social platforms to introduce the concept of OMNY, using short, engaging videos explaining its benefits and ease of use.

Influencer & Press Engagement

Local influencers and tech bloggers were given an insight into OMNY, helping generate buzz among New Yorkers.

Phase 2

Launch & Adoption (Education & Engagement)

Out-of-Home (OOH) Advertising

Digital billboards, bus stop ads, and subway posters were used, showcased with step-by-step guides on how to tap and ride.

Website & Mobile Integration

A user-friendly website provided interactive guides, FAQs, and a real-time rollout tracker for station availability.

In-Station Demonstrations

MTA employees and digital kiosks at high-traffic stations helped commuters transition from MetroCard to OMNY.

Phase 3

Expansion & Retention (Encouraging Widespread Use)

Email & SMS Campaigns: Personalized reminders were sent to riders encouraging them to switch, with limited-time promotions for early adopters.

Loyalty & Rewards Programs

Partnered with banks and payment providers (Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, Google Pay) to offer discounts or incentives for using OMNY.

Multilingual Outreach

Given New York’s diverse population, all marketing materials were made available in multiple languages, ensuring accessibility.

Results & Impact

Higher Adoption Rates

Within the first year, millions of rides were paid for using OMNY, showing a rapid transition from MetroCard to contactless payments.

Increased Efficiency

OMNY reduced bottlenecks at turnstiles, making commutes faster and more seamless.

Brand Trust & Recognition

The tech-forward branding helped position OMNY as a modern, reliable, and essential upgrade to NYC’s transit system.

Conclusion

The OMNY rebrand was more than a visual makeover—it was a full-scale behavioral shift in how New Yorkers interact with public transportation. Through clear branding, strategic marketing, and an emphasis on education, OMNY successfully introduced a new era of transit payment in NYC.