How Earl Took Over the NYC Subway

happenings

If you’re in NYC, chances are you’ve spotted one of our subway ads recently—the one with a mischievous yellow cat loafing around NYC in all sorts of unexpected places. That little guy’s name is Earl, and we’re so glad he caught your eye.

We can’t wait to share the story behind our new subway campaign with you. Chiyeung, a native New Yorker and our Associate Creative Director of Copy, is here to give you the inside scoop. He’ll talk about what inspired our campaign, some highlights, and even reveal some details you might’ve missed. But before we jump in, let us introduce ourselves for anyone new around here.

We’re Smalls, a cat-first, cat-only brand committed to making products that puts cats first. Our goal is to “make nine lives ten” through our delicious, high-protein, low-carb recipes. Curious about our products? You can check them out here.

Alright, let’s get into it!

Man with gray hair sits on the the subway bench reading a newspaper

Imagining a world where cats come first.

Hey, I’m Chiyeung, one of the creative minds behind our subway campaign. Now, you might be wondering why we’ve turned the NYC subway into a playground for cats. The answer is simple: we wanted to show what the world would look like if cats actually came first.

Let’s be honest. New York City is designed for humans and their dogs. Cats? Not so much—they’re often hidden away, out of sight and out of mind. But with over 47 million cat-parent households in the U.S., we thought it was time to challenge the status quo. Cat parents know the truth—their homes are micro-worlds where their feline friends rule. Worlds where they can act on impulse, play-hunt, knock things over, demand scritches, and freely be their weird little selves. So why hide all this away indoors?

We dared to imagine a different reality—what if cats were let loose in the city? What if they could roam free, stir up some mischief, and do all the weird things they love without being confined to our homes? What would NYC look like if it worked around cats, just like how we work around a cat loafing on our desk? And, most importantly, in the city that never sleeps, where would they choose to loaf?

These questions were the spark behind our campaign and we brought our idea to life by letting Earl take over the city—loafing in unexpected and quintessential NYC locations, living unapologetically as only a cat can. It was important for us to create more than just a fun, whimsical world; we wanted it to be a statement of our mission as a company. We are striving to create a future where cats aren’t an afterthought but a priority—a world that works around them, a world that actually puts them first.

Bringing this world to life visually was a collaborative effort between our Creative Director, Janis Ahn, and Juan Astasio. Juan is an extremely talented illustrator, cat parent, and former New Yorker whose hilarious work you might recognize from our social media accounts. We couldn’t have asked for a better partner. From the action of the Subway Series to ordering a BECSPK at your favorite bodega, Juan beautifully illustrated some of our favorite NYC moments and crafted a visual world that felt both undeniably Smalls and instantly recognizable to any New Yorker.

A man sits on the NYC subway against a wall, and it appears that an illustrated cat (Earl) is loafing on the man's head.

Campaign highlights

As a native New Yorker, capturing an authentic depiction of the city was incredibly important to me. While I’m proud of every ad in our subway campaign, here are some highlights that resonate deeply with me as a New Yorker.

A cat sitting in the basket that should be holding everything bagels.

I may be a little biased, but this is one of my favorite ads from our campaign. As someone who grew up in Queens, I knew we had to have an ode to 'The World's Borough.' We placed Earl on the 7 train, but of course, being the mischievous guy he is, he chose to ride on top of the train. Also, If you look close enough you’ll see the Unisphere in the distance, behind the tree line of Flushing Meadows Park!

A cat sitting atop a train on an above-ground track with the Unisphere and some trees in the background.

This one was easy. Whether your go-to order is a BECSPK, a BLT, or a Chopped Cheese, we can all agree that having a feline friend greet us at the counter always makes our day just a little better. This ad is a tribute to all the bodega cats in our lives—the ones that keep us hanging around a little longer than planned when all we came in for was a sandwich and a can of Arizona iced tea.

A cat sits on the counter at a bodega in NYC surrounded by coffee, a cash register, tip jars, bananas, and more.

I grew up near Flushing, Queens, so in my world of baseball, the Mets were everything. Sure, there were Yankees fans around, but with Shea Stadium just a bus and train ride away, I could never imagine rooting for the Pinstripes. When it came to our subway campaign, we knew we couldn’t leave out baseball—it’s NYC, after all. So, we chose to depict the Subway Series. And, of course, Earl made himself comfortable on home plate, right in the middle of the action. We couldn’t name the teams for legal reasons, but we hope the colors of the uniforms says it all. And if you didn’t notice them before, we hope you do now!

At a Yankee game, a pitcher throws the ball, the batter is ready to swing. All while a cat loafs on home plate.

NYC’s public library system is one of the largest in the country, and it holds a special place in my heart. I spent countless hours sprawled on the floors of my local library, devouring the Magic Tree House series as a kid and the Redwall series as I got older. I was so glad we could pay homage to the library system with this ad. What I love most is the contrast between Earl and his two bigger cousins, Patience and Fortitude—it makes me laugh because Earl is anything but. He’s more like chaos and mischief! Plus, I learned something new while putting this ad together: Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia was the one who named these majestic lions outside the 42nd Street library. I had no idea they even had names before working on our campaign.

A cat sits atop one of the lions outside of the New York Public Library.

If you’ve read this until the end, I appreciate you taking the time to learn the story about our subway campaign! Next time you see Earl in the subways of NYC, make sure to snap a picture and tag us at @smallsforcats.

From a low viewpoint, a bunch of legs and feet in line at a bar. Trash is on the floor. A loafing cat is in the middle of the line.