The Friendship Corner
The Friendship Corner
Client:
Location:
New York City, USA
Flash Pack
Impact:
The Friendship Corner emerged as a ground-breaking social experiment, effectively addressing the pervasive issue of urban loneliness. By facilitating over 150,000 connections and reaching a global audience of more than 100 million, the initiative demonstrated the profound impact of creating dedicated spaces for human interaction. The project's success not only garnered extensive media attention but also reinforced Flash Pack's commitment to fostering meaningful friendships, setting a precedent for future community-driven activations such as The Friendship Bus.
Come as strangers, leave as friends.
In response to the growing loneliness epidemic in New York City, where over two-thirds (67%) of residents report feeling socially isolated, Flash Pack introduced "The Friendship Corner" - a pioneering initiative designed to create meaningful connections among strangers.
Key Features
Month-long activation in New York’s bustling West Village, hosted in an intimate 27-square-foot space that went viral on TikTok as “America’s tiniest retail space”.
Deliberately free from Wi-Fi, screens, and other distractions, featuring just two chairs and a set of bespoke conversation starter cards to facilitate deep conversations with strangers.
The Friendship Corner connected over 150,000 strangers, highlighting a significant community engagement.
Hosted a series of friendship-building events in collaboration with local community groups.
My Work:
Concept Development: Transformed the initial idea into a comprehensive concept and design brief, laying the foundation for the project's execution.
Design Collaboration: Identified and partnered with a designer/producer in New York, working closely to develop and finalize the visual and experiential aspects of the space.
Experience Design: Crafted the user experience by developing assets such as conversation cards, a card dispenser, signage, and décor, all aimed at facilitating meaningful interactions.
Production Oversight: Sourced local printers and producers to bring the design elements to fruition, ensuring quality and cohesion in all physical components.
Event Programming: Organized a weekly schedule of events in partnership with New York community groups, including run clubs, guided tours, laughter yoga sessions, and more, as well as a special open day during the New York Pride parade.
Budget Management: Managed the project's budget, negotiating rates with vendors and partners to ensure cost-effectiveness without compromising quality.
On-Site Leadership: Supervised the inaugural weekend of events in New York, recruiting, training, and coordinating teams to maintain the project's momentum in subsequent weeks.
Proactive, well connected, ambitious, creative, and non-stop — Amy is a relentless, reliable source of getting shit done for any activation or campaign need.
- Lee Price, Director of Global Communications, All Birds
I had the absolute pleasure of working with Amy as she took on the role of project manager for two of Flash Pack's first US-based brand campaigns. Both projects were complex, fast-moving, and high-stakes, yet Amy navigated them with unparalleled expertise and grace.
From managing tight timelines to ensuring key decisions were made efficiently, Amy’s project management skills stood out in every phase. She impressively balanced the unique challenges of leading detail-heavy US-based campaigns from London - across time zones and permitting nuances - and her leadership ensured that both projects not only met but exceeded expectations.
Amy truly operates as a dedicated member of the team, and any organization would be lucky to have her talent and tenacity driving their initiatives forward.
- Emma Greene, Head of PR, Flash Pack