Times Square is turning desi: Here’s what’s driving the rush

Times Square, once the exclusive playground of global giants, is now dotted with Indian names eager for their moment in neon. From everyday FMCG staples to ambitious tech startups, everyone wants that unmistakable shot of their logo glowing above Broadway. 

The rates span a dizzying spectrum – from $250 to $1,000 a day for basic digital screens and more than $150,000 for marquee sites like the Nasdaq Tower. 

What they are really buying are a few seconds of global aura that convert instantly into days of visibility and validation on Indian social media.

When Noida got a slice of Times Square: Read here

The biggest, boldest Indian displays so far

In November this year, Parachute lit up the iconic district with a digital OOH display. Saugata Gupta of Marico wrote that watching a familiar Indian brand shine there felt like a moment of cultural pride and a signal of Parachute’s global recognition.

Godrej Properties pushed the limits further in January 2025 with a 10-minute roadblock on The One. Executed by The Media Ant, the takeover targeted NRIs in New York ahead of a project launch and marked one of the boldest single-screen plays by an Indian real estate brand.

Celebrities and consumer brands have contributed to the visibility too. Vikas Khanna unveiled Stone Art in 2023, an 8 ft by 6 ft Konark Sun Temple inspired sandstone installation created in Odisha and displayed at 44th and Broadway. The display generated nationwide conversation and was praised by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. 

Read e4m report on OOH embracing AI 

Around the same time, Vahdam India ran a Times Square spot showcasing single origin spices with Khanna as the face. Pepper Content celebrated its Series A by flashing its news on the Nasdaq Tower. Amul, Flipkart, Chingari, Classplus and Everest Spices have all made appearances in previous years.

A senior global agency executive said Indian brands now overwhelmingly approach Times Square as an imagery play. “Most brands choose between the Samsung board and the Nasdaq board or take a cluster of screens stitched together by intermediaries. Hardly anyone buys long durations. They usually take a day or a roadblock, shoot the content on ground and then push that footage across social media in India. The audience they truly want is not the one walking through Manhattan but the one scrolling Instagram at home.”

Read e4m report on Indian OOH outpacing global growth 

The hidden math that makes Times Square irresistible 

Costs at Times Square vary wildly. Basic digital placements on business screens range from $250 to $1,000 a day. Mid to premium digital billboards fall between $5,000 and $50,000 a day. The most coveted screens such as One Times Square or the Nasdaq Tower can cost $80,000 to $150,000 dollars or more for a single day. A four-week digital billboard rental can run between $200,000 and $500,000.

A leading OOH player in India argues that comparison between cities like New York and Mumbai depends entirely on the format.

“Times Square may look expensive if you only look at a billboard display, but the moment you consider on ground activations it ends up being almost 25 percent cheaper than Mumbai. If you spend Rs 100 in Mumbai, you can do the same thing in New York for Rs 75.” 

He further said that programmatic digital OOH makes it even more accessible. “Today a brand can go on Google and will instantly find websites offering Times Square slots. Prices start at $150 to $250 for a 15-second spot running for 24 hours. That has opened the space to smaller brands who want a day-long showcase only for the bragging rights and social buzz.”

The global agency executive confirmed that long-term campaigns are a different story. A one-month takeover will likely exhaust a brand’s actual annual budget and only a few global giants like Coke take full site control. For everyone else, shorter bursts are the most practical option.

How programmatic OOH buying changed everything

The ease of buying Times Square inventory has dramatically reduced the entry barrier. The OOH player explains that most screens across the US are programmatic, which makes running a campaign far simpler than in India. A marketer can upload a creative, check the rates and make the ad live almost the way they would with a standard digital ad. It is as simple as advertising on Facebook. India is still far from this due to heavy fragmentation where different media owners hold scattered inventories and are reluctant to club screens due to differing rates and locations.

The global agency expert notes that in the US everything is organised and professional. Once dates are confirmed, brands actually get those dates. In India, he says, there are times when even after booking, commitments do not hold.

The ground-level reality 

Despite the glamour, Times Square advertising comes with hurdles. An Indian OOH leader pointed out that brands often struggle because they do not have the right channels or partners in the US. On-ground activations are especially difficult because the ecosystem there is far more fragile compared to India where activation networks have matured over decades. Brands have to work with US-based agencies that are not always as structured or as responsive as Indian partners.

The global agency executive added that affordability limits the options. Some brands only pick side screens because they cannot pay for the full cluster. Everything also has to be booked well in advance. There is no last-minute turnaround. And the entire effort is usually geared toward generating content to be used back home.

Brands are now using Times Square primarily to create buzz, another expert said. “It is not for the people in New York but for the audience scrolling online in India. It is the global billboard equivalent of a viral moment.”

This appetite is unlikely to slow down. As long as digital OOH buying remains simple and Indian brands continue to chase high visibility Instagram moments, Times Square will continue to sit high on their wish list.