One of the standout features of Apple News is its Local News section, with curated content for an ever-expanding list of cities across the U.S. and Canada. Previously, we could target readers with location-specific ads featuring screens from their city. But when Apple (rightfully) updated its privacy policies, we lost the ability to geo-target with that level of precision.

Meanwhile, new cities were rolling out fast—and the marketing team needed a way to spotlight them all, without calling out any one location specifically.

Instead of advertising single cities, what if we combined them? That led to the concept of “Super Cities”—vibrant illustrated metropolises built from pieces of real places. It was a playful way to show the breadth of Apple News Local coverage while staying true to Apple’s privacy-forward principles.

We partnered with Turkish illustrator Kürşat Ünsal, known for his intricate cityscapes and maps, to bring the campaign to life. Each Super City ad featured recognizable elements from multiple cities all coexisting in one bustling, impossible metropolis.

The campaign saw high click-through rates and drove a significant uptick in readers following local news channels—outperforming even the previous geo-targeted ads.