Overview
The brief from Gray Line New York
Gray Line New York, New York City's iconic double-decker tour bus company has been a proud staple of the New York City tourism industry since 1926, bringing visitors to all the must-see stops on its signature red buses. While there is a strong association and solid brand awareness of Gray Line New York among tourists, this leading tourism company wanted to raise its profile even further to include New Yorkers, via a strategic A-list celebrity campaign.
Strategy
How 5W ran the program
5W created and implemented a monthly strategic celebrity partnership series, aligning Gray Line New York with some of the world's most press-worthy celebrities, while continuing to position the brand as a New York City travel authority. To do this, we launched Gray Line New York's "Ride of Fame" monthly campaign, where the company recognizes and honors leading New Yorkers, whom they identify as exemplary community figures, by personalizing a bus in the fleet for each monthly "star".
Each month, 5W secures a celebrity to honor and manages a ribbon-cutting ceremony where the celebrity's own Gray Line New York double-decker bus is unveiled to the public, and to dozens of media outlets. Since the inception of the program, and as a result of 5W's work on behalf of Gray Line, the brand has partnered with many celebrities including Kim and Kourtney Kardashian, Whoopi Goldberg, Liza Minnelli, Richard Dreyfuss, Cyndi Lauper, Reggie Jackson, Rachael Ray, and many others.
Gray Line New York PR Case Study: 1B+ Impressions
Last updated: October 26, 2026
Gray Line New York case study: 5WPR created the monthly "Ride of Fame" celebrity campaign for the New York City double-decker tour bus company, honoring a leading New Yorker each month with a personalized bus. The series has earned over a billion impressions and coverage in The Wall Street Journal, FOX News, NY1 and USA Today.
Frequently asked questions
What results did the Ride of Fame campaign deliver?
The campaign has earned over a billion impressions. Coverage included The Wall Street Journal, The New York Post, The New York Daily News, FOX News, NY1, E! Entertainment News, USA Today and Entertainment Tonight.
How does the Gray Line Ride of Fame campaign work?
Each month 5WPR secures a celebrity or leading New Yorker to honor. Gray Line personalizes a double-decker bus for that person, and 5WPR manages a ribbon-cutting ceremony where the bus is unveiled to the public and to dozens of media outlets.
Which celebrities have taken part in Ride of Fame?
Participants have included Kim and Kourtney Kardashian, Whoopi Goldberg, Liza Minnelli, Richard Dreyfuss, Cyndi Lauper, Reggie Jackson and Rachael Ray, among many others.
Where can I see more travel and hospitality PR work from 5WPR?
5WPR's travel PR agency page lists its services and related case studies.
Results
What the program delivered for Gray Line New York
With over a billion impressions thus far, 5W Public Relations has secured feature stories and broadcast segments on the Ride of Fame series including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Post, The New York Daily News, FOX News, FOX & Friends, NY1, PerezHilton, E! Entertainment News, ABC, NBC's LXTV, USA Today, The Insider, Entertainment Tonight, and others.
To discover how we can elevate your brand as a leading travel public relations agency, check out our Hospitality Digital Marketing services page
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