The Downtown Alliance Is Lower Manhattan’s Biggest Cheerleader

It’s our 30th anniversary, and we’re self-celebrating. Over the next few months, we’ll be rolling out 30 stories about 30 of our biggest accomplishments, including everything from our daily public safety and sanitation work, to our small business outreach, to how we helped the neighborhood navigate challenges and even tragedies. You’ll be able to find these stories on our website, as well as in our weekly newsletter, which you can subscribe to here. 

Keeping pace with the rapidly growing and shifting dynamics of Lower Manhattan, the Downtown Alliance has rolled out a steady stream of integrated marketing campaigns over the years to emphasize the neighborhood’s many attributes. Appealing to workers, tourists, residents and key real estate decision-makers all at the same time is a delicate balancing act, but the Alliance has continued to find innovative new ways to draw attention to Lower Manhattan.

One of our most impactful marketing initiatives took place in 2015 when the Alliance unveiled the “Down Is What’s Up” campaign, which included a viral video showcasing the powerful and thrilling transformation of Lower Manhattan. The video starred Questlove, a musician, producer, tastemaker and former resident of Lower Manhattan. In the 90-second piece, he communicated the romance and majesty of the changes sweeping the area and invited viewers to visit his neighborhood and experience the area for themselves through a new lens.

More recently, in 2024, the Alliance rolled out the “Only Downtown” campaign, a collaboration with Lower Manhattan-based advertising agency WPP. The campaign contrasted images and headlines from singular landmarks to the area’s newest hot spots and renewed interest in Lower Manhattan for commercial real-estate decision-makers, positioning the area as a 21st-century central business district.

Other marketing efforts of note have included 2021’s “Do You” campaign, which highlighted the neighborhood’s many points of interest and included a selection of Spotify playlists inspired by the sounds of Lower Manhattan. And in 2015, “#LMT: Lower Manhattan Tuesdays” introduced New Yorkers to a wide variety of experiences at over 60 participating restaurants, retailers, museums and more.