YZD is transforming 370 acres of former airport lands into something entirely new: seven connected neighbourhoods anchored by parks, homes, workplaces, schools, retail, and a reimagined two-kilometre runway.
More than a redevelopment project, YZD is building a platform for creativity, culture, connection, and experimentation.
To introduce that vision to thousands of new audiences, YZD partnered with Jacknife to create an experiential brand activation for Live Nation’s summer concert series at Toronto’s Rogers Stadium.
In a concert environment, attention is divided. Guests move constantly between entry gates, concessions, and performance spaces, making traditional static installations easy to overlook. YZD needed an event activation that could move with the crowd, spark curiosity about the site’s future, and inspire meaningful engagement through QR interactions and email sign-ups. Just as importantly, it needed to express the values of creativity, sustainability, adaptability, and community.
Our solution began with a simple idea: if people are always moving, the brand should move too. The concept evolved from an early “Cirque on a Bike” exploration into a roaming experiential fleet inspired by public art, kinetic sculpture, festival culture, handmade vehicles, and the creative spirit of YZD.
The bicycle was a natural starting point. As YZD transforms into a city within a city, active transportation will play an important role in connecting people across its expansive footprint. The bikes became both a practical engagement tool and a symbol of its vision for a more connected, human-scaled community.
The result was YZD Runway Riders, a collection of custom-painted bicycles, ambassador rides, branded vendor carts, and mobile visual markers that transformed the concert grounds into an interactive runway.
Five Toronto artists were invited to interpret the theme Find Your Runway, hand-painting bicycles and helmets inside one of YZD’s historic aircraft hangars. Bold colours, oversized flags, custom accessories, lighting, and artist-led treatments gave every vehicle its own personality while creating a striking visual presence across the site.
Working with a local Downsview bicycle mechanic, we restored and maintained the fleet using repurposed bicycles and modular components that could be refreshed and redeployed throughout the concert season and future YZD events. The approach reduced waste, extended asset lifespans, and reinforced its commitment to sustainable mobility.
Throughout the activation, the fleet roamed the concert grounds, creating spontaneous moments of discovery wherever crowds gathered. Ambassadors engaged visitors one-on-one, distributed giveaways, and invited them to explore YZD through QR-enabled experiences that connected the physical activation to a digital journey.
The activation generated nearly 4,000 audience submissions, translating curiosity into measurable engagement throughout the Live Nation concert series. More importantly, it introduced thousands of concert-goers to YZD long before the neighbourhood existed. Rather than simply learning about a future development, visitors experienced the brand’s values firsthand through creativity, sustainability, and human interaction. By meeting people where they already were, the activation transformed fleeting moments of attention into memorable brand experiences that encouraged deeper exploration beyond the concert grounds.
Its impact was evident from opening night, even earning an enthusiastic thumbs-up from Coldplay frontman Chris Martin before taking the stage. Throughout the summer, the activation became a familiar and highly visible presence, helping YZD establish an authentic connection with audiences in one of Toronto’s busiest live entertainment environments.
Built with modular, reusable components, Runway Riders demonstrated how thoughtful activation design can reduce waste while creating a memorable brand experience. The fleet can be refreshed, expanded, and redeployed across future events, extending its impact while reinforcing the vision for one of Canada’s most ambitious urban transformations. More than a seasonal activation, it provides YZD with a flexible platform for ongoing community engagement, storytelling, and placemaking as the site continues to evolve.
