Tap and ride
The MTA launched contactless fare payments in 2019. The organization branded its contactless system “OMNY,” in a nod to its ambition to handle fare payment for all public transportation in the New York metro area.
By 2025, as the agency prepared to retire MetroCard and transition to an all-contactless system, the strategy had changed. While millions of New Yorkers had switched years in advance of the transition, many others were confused and distrustful of the OMNY brand, which had been colored by a bumpy and COVID-slowed rollout. The decision was made to minimize OMNY, so I pitched a new, simple branding—Tap and ride.
Our original layouts emphasized ease of use. People found contactless payments confusing and worried they would be more difficult or complicated than what they were used to. We hoped to associate the new “Tap and ride” with “easy.”
The above concepts were developed, but never released. Instead, organizational priorities called for expanding the rebranding exercise into a full educational campaign. We were tasked with explaining concepts and benefits like fare capping, fare cards, and online accounts concisely.
