DSNY Trash Can Pen Holder
BRIEF
The officially licensed DSNY x Only NY Trash Can Pen Holder became an instant classic upon it’s release in March of 2023. Nash provided the entire plan for ad creation, marketing and ultimately the release of the item online and in-store. Upon it’s release it sold out within 48 minutes, and garnered over 1 million impressions online.
SCOPE OF WORK
Creative Direction
Art Direction
Marketing
Photography
For the promotional campaign imagery, I wanted to keep it as true to the original DSNY Trash Can Pen Holder (See it Here) as possible. Thus creating continuity from the smaller trash can to it’s larger cousin. The ad features a custom drawn “More” as if written with a permanent marker, and features trash curated from everyday items used by New Yorkers. Props included lotto tickets, checkered pizza paper, corner deli sandwich foil, a NY Times cover page, and of course the iconic blue NY Greek coffee cups.
The, advertisement takes inspiration from vintage 1950s product ads where hands were often seen in large scale with the promotional product. Nash’s idea was to execute a cheeky parody of a trash can being used at miniature scale with a famous tagline from the DSNY messaging toolkit. A secondary image was shot with pens, markers, pencils and scissors with the line “A Cleaner Desk Begins With You” to give the item context for usage. A film was also shot and can be viewed below.
MARKETING STRATEGY & PROCESS
The DSNY Trash Can Pen Holder was originally slated to be soft launched with the larger NYC Parks x Only NY collection. Nash identified an opportunity for sharing this special product and pitched the idea to Only NY. Upon release of the original ad creative, and review of the data provided these engagement metrics.
Key Takeaways
- Sold out online within 48 minutes of release
- The larger quantity restock sold over half of the inventory in 1 day.
- Only NY’s Instagram had an 82% spike in traffic over the span of 30 days.
- Over 1 million impressions within 2 weeks of releasing on Only NY’s Instagram.
- Remains a top selling item for the brand 1 year after it’s original release.
Since it’s initial release, the DSNY Trash Can Pen Holder continues to sell out upon restocks and has become a beloved item for your home / office. Below are some supporting images from secondary campaigns to fan photography.
