The Citi Bike program is getting a new shade of red. In celebration of the upcoming December 19 release of the highly anticipated motion picture Annie starring Jamie Foxx, Quvenzhane Wallis, Rose Byrne, Bobby Cannavale, and Cameron Diaz, 50 of the blue bikes have been temporarily turned red – Annie’s signature hue. The red bikes will be launched today at the Citi Bike station at Broadway & 17th Street, Union Square. They will be available for all to ride within the Citi Bike system until December 29, 2014.
Not only are the red bikes adding a bit of Annie flair to the city, but New Yorkers who spot a red Citi Bike can snap a picture, upload to Instagram, Facebook or Twitter with the tag #anniecitibikesweeps, and be entered for a chance to win one of two prizes:*
- Between November 17 and November 23, one lucky social media photographer will win a family four-pack of tickets to the World Premiere of Annie in New York on December 7
- Then, photographers who snap a shot of a red Citi Bike between November 24 and December 20 and upload with the hashtag to Instagram will be entered with the chance to win a family trip to Los Angeles, where they will be treated to the Sony Pictures Studios tour.
Following the promotion, one red bike will be autographed by the filmmakers and cast, then auctioned off to benefit Turnaround Arts, a signature program of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. Turnaround Arts brings high quality arts education to high-poverty schools across the country, leading to increases in attendance, academic achievement, and student engagement. As part of a collaboration with Annie to promote arts education, select Turnaround Arts schools who want to put on the Broadway classic are receiving resources and assistance in staging their production.
Commenting on the announcement, Dani Simons, spokesperson for NYC Bike Share said, “In the movie, Annie is a modern girl of 2014, and she knows there’s no better way to get around New York than on a Citi Bike. We’re thrilled to be adding a bit of Annie style to the city.”
George Leon, Executive Vice President, Consumer Marketing for the studio, added, “If you can spot one of the 50 bikes and upload a picture to Instagram, you could win premiere tickets or even a trip to L.A.”
