\u201cThere\u2019s an energy that we wanted to capture and I think it\u2019s matching New York as of right now in a way that feels really nice,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Since running for mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani has become a design icon for breaking the rules of political aesthetics, from his campaign poster and branding inspired by Bollywood posters and MetroCards to his charming and affable videos. Now that he\u2019s in office, he\u2019s applying his refreshing approach to visual communication on an even grander scale. The World Cup campaign is his biggest yet. What\u2019s notable about the strategy is how it applies all the feel-good parts of sports fandom to New York itself. <\/p>\n While mega-events like the Olympics and the World Cup are touted as major economic drivers for host cities, the reality is usually more modest<\/a>. Instead of benefiting FIFA or being in service of this summer\u2019s tournament, the campaign\u2014and the initiatives related to it<\/a>, like free public watch parties, partnerships with family-owned restaurants, and public space improvements\u2014 advances the administration\u2019s desire to make New York more inclusive and serves as a model for how other cities might conceive of mega-event branding. <\/p>\n \u201cThe World Cup is one of those rare moments when a city gets to see itself differently,\u201d Raziuddin says. \u201cMillions of people will be looking at New York, but New Yorkers will also be looking at New York. It’s a chance to celebrate the city and the communities that make it what it is.\u201d<\/p>\n In April, the Mayor\u2019s Office hired Raziuddin\u2014who is best known for masterminding the cover of Salman Rushdie\u2019s 2019 book The Knife <\/em>and her editorial design work at The Atlantic<\/em>, The New York Times<\/em>, and literary journal Acacia<\/em><\/a>\u2014to develop a visual identity for the campaign. It builds off a slogan of \u201cWhere the World Comes to Play,\u201d which NYC Tourism + Conventions launched last fall<\/a>. <\/p>\n \u201cIt was two months of just insane effort,\u201d Raziuddin says of the project. \u201cI had to use all the juice I had to figure out the most \u2018Mayor Mamdani New York\u2019 collab I could think of.\u201d Importantly, she adds, it speaks about<\/em> the city rather than to<\/em> the city. We talked to Raziuddin about how she did it. <\/p>\n This interview has been edited and condensed.<\/em><\/p>\n Tell us about how you began to conceive of the visual identity. The administration has a particular look and feel.<\/strong><\/p>\n Mayor Mamdani is a part of this legacy of people who care about how design plays a role in New York. It is a great feeling as an artist, as a designer, to be around leadership that cares about communication design. It\u2019s often overlooked, and it really can help set up a city in a way that feels enlightening and inspirational. <\/p>\n The brilliance of this administration in City Hall is that they don\u2019t overdesign. They make things clear, readable, and legible. There is something unique about the energy of City Hall and of the Mayor of New York right now. <\/p>\n I <\/strong>balanced my style of being very scrappy, cutout, photography, collage with the look of the Mayor’s Office that is very vector forward.<\/p>\n What message needed to be clear through the campaign? <\/strong><\/p>\n We wanted it to speak to everyone. We wanted a child to understand what it was. We wanted an elder to understand what it was. We wanted to see community and for people to focus on New York. <\/p>\n I’m trying to capture that energy and playfulness and community centricity without bringing in cliches of, like, everyone holding hands. That sensibility can be communicated through the language, color, texture, and composition. <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/q_auto,c_fit,w_1024\/wp-cms-2\/2026\/06\/g-1-91558789-nyc-world-cup-branding.gif\")