Even though City Football Group’s flagship team, Manchester City, didn’t make it back to the New York metro area for the FIFA Club World Cup semifinals, the organization, New York City FC (NYCFC), and their creative partners still found a way to soar.
With the Club World Cup semifinals beginning today at Met Life Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., NYCFC and Brooklyn-based creative studio Tavern put a five-story, 700-pound inflatable pigeon in the Hudson River and have spent the day tugging it around the city’s waterways during the tournament.
The stunt was made to reach out to fans of English Premier League club Chelsea FC and Brazilian Serie A side Fluminense FC, who are in town for today’s matchup, but it’s also a reminder to local fans that NYCFC’s Etihad Park is still slated to open in Queens’ Willets Point in 2027.
“The brief from New York City FC was clear: Create something disruptive enough to stop soccer fans in their tracks and make New Yorkers deeply proud of their club,” said Mike Perry, founder and chief creative officer at Tavern.
A map of NYCFC and Tavern's floating pigeon's path through New York during the FIFA Club World CupTavern
Had Manchester City made it to this point of the tournament, there is a chance that the English Premier League club itself would have been more active in the New York promotions. However, Manchester City left the tournament after a 4-3 upset loss to the Saudi Pro League’s Al Hilal during the Round of 16.
But after opening a branch of its City Studios content production arm in New York, bringing Manchester City players to youth clinics in the city, and partnering with creators and influencers at events in town, City Football Group has found ways to maintain a presence in the five boroughs even when its flagship team isn’t playing there.
“It’s clear that New York is a priority market for us from a Manchester City point of view, but it happens to be the home of one of our very important clubs—New York City Football Club—so it is a special kind of double significance,” said Nuria Tarre, City Football Group’s CMO. “We don’t aim to grow fans for City Football Group: We have specific strategies to engage with fans for New York City, grow this fandom, get ready for that stadium opening, and have more New Yorkers interested in soccer.”
Manchester City conquered the U.S. before the FIFA Club World Cup as the reigning tournament champion spent years running a game plan of culture and content.
The “Five Borough Flight” activation started in Staten Island, sailed up the Hudson, and floated past all five boroughs before eventually landing at the future site of Etihad Park in Queens.
Ultimately, the pigeon’s biggest goal is to draw more attention to NYCFC itself. The club has existed for 12 years—making its home at Yankee Stadium—and has a 2022 Major League Soccer (MLS) championship and a Campeones Cup (for defeating the champions of Mexico’s Liga MX) to its credit. It wants people to know more about its forthcoming stadium, its developmental team, its academy program, and its work with the New York City Soccer Initiative (NYCSI), which has opened 50 mini-soccer pitches throughout New York City and plans to open 26 more heading into the FIFA World Cup in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico next year.
“This isn’t just a stunt—it’s a statement of intent and a signal that the future of soccer is here in NYC,” said Lauren Scrima, vp of marketing at NYCFC. “We’re building a brand that lives and breathes the spirit of New York, and that means showing up in entirely unexpected ways.”
The Seattle Sounders and Paris Saint-Germain showed how host cities can score points with brands and fans through resilient planning.
Recommended videos