Our work began at Jesse’s Deli where we had a price hike sale, raising all his prices and renaming his products to justify the increase. We posted these renamed products in his windows.

The idea evolved and we worked with other small business owners confronted with forceful price outs, including a whole city block in Washington Heights. There we created a campaign advertising their price hike with “Small Plates for Twice the Price.”

We then built a Bed and Breakfast in a bodega window, charging $329.99 a night to make up for the storeowner’s rent increase. People were able to protest at the ‘Bed-In’ while holding a sign to help spread word about the Small Business Jobs Survival Act.

Greedy landlords were pricing out local business owners, so these owners put posters in their windows pricing up their products. To justify the price increase they hipster-fied the names of these normal products. One bodega owner installed a bed and breakfast in their front window charging $329.99 a night to help him make the new rent.

The campaign took place from June 11th to October 31st in New York City. #JessesPricedOut started June 11th. The Dominican Neighborhood campaign started July 1st. And AirBnBodega took place in September and October.

The sales took place in 3 locations, taking over a deli, then a whole city block being priced out in Washington Heights and finally back to Brooklyn at the original deli to regain the momentum of the press following the story. 2 websites were created as well as a posting on AirBnB that linked to the Small Business Jobs Survival Act.

The campaign helped push the Small Business Jobs Survival Act forward, moving it from 14 supporters in city hall to the 26 needed to secure a majority! (For the first time in the 30 years since this retail rent control legislation had been introduced.)

The story became an international phenomenon, receiving coverage on 38 television news broadcasts, in over 1500 magazines and blogs, and in 30 newspapers—ranging from global journals to local cover stories. In the end, it generated over 300 million media impressions.

Once we established a personality and humor behind the issue of rent increases, New Yorkers were reinvigorated by the issue and followed it and spread the word; Bringing an issue that was “tired” in the eyes of the press back into the local, national and international discourse.

Jesse manages a deli. Landlord triples rent. Jesse can’t afford it. He triples prices. Gives products “artisanal” names. Jesse puts posters in window. His posters get noticed. In a week, Jesse’s Deli appears on every reputable news source in the US. In a few weeks, the world. It cost a dollar.

Jesse used tools that are readily available to any 12 year old.

It’s increasingly important to create an idea that understands its context and culture, an idea that WANTS to be passed around. We now realize our inflated media budgets are competing with our local deli guy.

185,000 small businesses account for a majority of middle-income jobs in New York. Every month, between 1000 and 1200 of those businesses lose their lease due to exorbitant rent hikes by greedy landlords and financiers.

New Yorkers, the Press, and City Council members are desensitized to the issue of gentrification and rent hikes in New York. They’ve seen it all.

Approach: Make this issue hit home with New Yorkers and have them care about the business owners that are being affected by rent hikes.

While building momentum, lead people to the Small Business Jobs Survival Act site to sign the petition and urge New York City Council to push the act forward.

New Yorkers are becoming increasingly desensitized to the issue of gentrification and rent increases for small businesses.

The process is as follows: Small business occupies storefront for many years -- landlord wants them out to make room for corporate tenant or high end establishment -- landlord increases rent by 200-300% to price them out -- tenant is forced to leave.

Jesse from Jesse’s Deli, who was also getting priced out of his store, asked if we could help other small business like his before their rents went up, too.

Our objectives were clear: Let’s help the Small Business Jobs Survival Act, legislation that could help prevent small businesses from getting priced out. But we needed to get people interested in this issue again and show how it directly affects small businesses.