With the FIFA World Cup 2026 less than a month away, the New York Knicks securing a spot in their first NBA Finals since 1999 and a newly elected Mayor Zohran Mamdani rooting enthusiastically for the home team, New Yorkers have been feeling optimistic about their home city in recent weeks — and brands want in on the vibes.Companies such as StreetEasy, Delta and Primark are going all in on a New York state of mind — whether through social media reactions celebrating the Knicks’ historic feat, local campaigns encouraging citizens to dream big and channel their inner Virgo by planning dates 20 years in advance, or immersive stunts and tasteful takeovers spotlighting the city’s culture and stylish aura.StreetEasyThe Zillow-owned, New York City-specific real estate brand launched Reserve Your Future, a new campaign celebrating its 20th anniversary and expanding on its Be a Forever New Yorker campaign, aimed at city dwellers looking to find their forever home in the city’s increasingly challenging housing market. The ambitious work, created by Mother New York, eschews the traditional route of convincing audiences to browse its listings and instead take steps toward committing to a lifelong residency through smaller investments — vis-à-vis making restaurant and museum reservations and theater bookings at popular New York haunts on the company’s 40th anniversary in May 2046.Establishments such as Russ & Daughters, the Guggenheim Museum and the Film Forum theater — signaling their own intentions to stay put in the city by signing on as partners — offered limited slots for tickets, tables and other desirable goods and services exclusively to New York City residents on a dedicated site, which quickly sold out. “In New York City, few things are as sacred or treasured as a hard-to-get reservation,” Evan Carpenter, group strategy director at Mother New York, said in a statement. “They’ve become both a kind of social currency and a badge of honor worthy of envy and admiration alike. In this activation, we’ve imbued these reservations at iconic New York institutions with something more meaningful than simple exclusivity — a declaration of commitment to the city we love, and life we can’t get enough of.”New York LotteryThe brand’s first major campaign and brand platform in nearly a decade simply asks curious New Yorkers and would-be winners “Can You Imagine?” while showing them myriad fantastical things they could do with their winnings and the multiple real games they can play to win in the campaign’s two spots, Bodega and Gas Station. The jaunty and colorful ads, created by McCann New York and directed by Los Perez of Biscuit Films, are part of a larger campaign aimed at reaching a younger audience that includes a series of surreal photographs shot by Todd Anthony that will be featured in large-scale OOH placements, subway takeovers and activations throughout the city. “New York runs on the belief that anything can happen,” Britt Nolan, McCann chief creative officer, said in a statement. “This campaign is built around that moment right before you scratch a ticket or hear your numbers read, when your imagination takes over and anything feels possible. It’s a feeling every New Yorker knows.” Delta Air LinesThe airline partnered with Rolling Stone magazinefor the launch of its Rolling Stone Residency at the historic Cherry Lane Theater in New York. The series of six intimate, stripped-back shows, which kicks off with Grammy-winning and Emmy and Tony-nominated singer Sara Bareilles on June 11, is reportedly in high demand, with packages for Delta SkyMiles American Express Card members quickly selling out within minutes of its release. (Photo credit: Delta, used with permission)PrimarkThe Irish fashion retailer — which is set to spin off from its current parent company Associated British Foods in 2027 to become an independent entity with its own board — made its splashy debut in Herald Square earlier this month with the opening of its sixth and largest store in the New York area and its 40th since making its stateside debut a little over a decade ago. Timing the event just days after the Met Gala to capitalize on the fashion buzz, the brand launched a full-scale New York takeover in which it “painted the town” in its signature aqua blue hue, with targeted billboard placements around the city, including near the gala’s venue, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and throughout Times Square. On the eve of its May 8 opening, the retailer lit up the Empire State Building “Primark blue” and hosted a block party featuring food, DJs and commemorative shopping bags. The flagship, which Rene Federico, head of U.S. marketing at Primark, told Campaign will house exclusively designed merchandise created under a licensing agreement with FIFA for the World Cup as well as collections for the NFL and NBA, hosted a VIP event attended by New York icons Sarah Jessica Parker and Andy Cohen just steps away from Madison Square Garden, where other famous New Yorkers, including Ben Stiller and Timothée Chalamet, watched the Knicks’ decisive win against the Philadelphia 76ers in the playoffs.“Manhattan is always a signal for brands that they need to show up differently and deliver, and we’ve taken the approach that we take to all our stores in terms of celebrating grand openings, and ensuring that we're able to deliver for our customer and our store teams,” Federico said, when asked why now was the time for the retailer to plant roots in the landmark shopping destination. “We're very focused on executing that at a premium level.” This week, the brand, which opened its 41st store a week later at the Mall at Prince George’s in Maryland, launched The Getaway, its new global campaign created by VCCP, featuring a geo-targeted version listing its New York and New Jersey locations.