NY-ESB/WHATSAPP
The Empire State Building (ESB) today unveiled a street-to-Observatory takeover for fans in New York City, in partnership with WhatsApp, that featured an appearance from Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team driver Lewis Hamilton, to celebrate WhatsApp’s rapid growth in the United States, dynamic light show, and a street-side F1 car demonstration down New York City’s iconic Fifth Avenue. The chance for F1 fans to participate continues this week with an exclusive opportunity to see firsthand iconic Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team cars and an immersive emoji experience.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240430558058/en/
Festivities included appearances by Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff to the world-famous Empire State Building Observatory and a never-before-seen F1 car demonstration down Fifth Avenue (Photo: Business Wire)
“We are thrilled to use the Empire State Building’s authentic, international voice and for our Observatory to play host to the highest gathering of Mercedes-AMG F1 fans as we welcome guests to experience up-close viewings of the team’s cars and interactive WhatsApp emoji displays at the world-famous Empire State Building Observatory,” said Jean-Yves Ghazi, president of the Empire State Building Observatory. “It is great to welcome Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff to this WhatsApp partnership, only at the Empire State Building Observatory Experience,” he continued.
ESB in the Grand Prix
On April 29, ESB debuted a dynamic WhatsApp x Mercedes-AMG F1 race in lights that featured the brand-new emoji race car. The new emoji car zipped through lower Manhattan in a competitive race with other emoji cars and highlighted famous New York City neighborhoods and Emoji-Yorkers decorated around WhatsApp message bubbles. The light display looped on the south side façade from 8:30 p.m. until 10:30 p.m. Lewis Hamilton, driver for the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team along with CEO and Team Principal, Toto Wolff visited the Empire State Building earlier that day to tour the world-famous Observatory Experience and flip the ceremonial switch ahead of the dynamic light show.
Race Through NYC
Earlier this morning, seven-time World Champion Hamilton delighted fans by driving down Fifth Avenue between 35th and 33rd Street in a 2021 Mercedes-AMG F1 W12 E PERFORMANCE. The Brit piloted the W12 to eight Grand Prix victories as the team secured that year’s World Constructors’ Championship.
“I’ve always felt a special connection with the United States,” said Hamilton. “I remember going to New York as a kid and dreaming about living in the city and I’ve been fortunate to spend a lot of time here since then. I’ve had many incredible experiences and connected with many amazing people in New York, but to drive an F1 car down Fifth Avenue and light up the Empire State Building is incredibly special. It’s something I never thought would be possible and it’s been even better to do it in partnership with WhatsApp, an app that keeps my connection to the US alive by making it easy to stay in touch with so many people stateside.”
Welcome to the Paddock
The Empire State Building’s iconic Fifth Avenue Lobby windows now feature special 2D and 3D emoji-themed designs that depict scenes of a Formula 1 garage loaded with tools, tech, and stickers. The window exhibit will remain on display until May 7.
Visitors to the Empire State Building Observatory can view a life-size emoji car and pit stop on the building’s 80th floor. The WhatsApp and Mercedes-AMG F1 branded engineering station will feature versions of the technology that goes into Formula 1 car maintenance. Audio will emulate the noises of a fully functioning F1 car crew. The Empire State Building’s 80th floor will also be adorned with Mercedes-AMG F1 memorabilia which includes three Formula 1 trophies, driver overalls, boots, gloves, and helmet.
Once guests reach the iconic 86th Floor Observatory, fans can pose inside a WhatsApp chat with ESB’s unmatched New York City views as a backdrop and can view a Mercedes-AMG F1 W14 E PERFORMANCE show car, until May 7.
The Empire State Building Observatory recently underwent a $165 million reimagination that included the addition of a dedicated visitor entrance, an immersive museum with nine galleries, brand-new, bespoke Observatory Host uniforms, and a new 102nd Floor Observatory with unmatched view. The reimagined Observatory Experience was recently voted the number one attraction in the U.S. by Tripadvisor travelers for two consecutive years.
Text CONNECT to 274-16 to receive real-time information about the Empire State Building’s tower lights.
Hi-res imagery and video can be found here. More information about the Empire State Building can be found online.
About the Empire State Building
The Empire State Building, the “World's Most Famous Building," owned by Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. (ESRT: NYSE), soars 1,454 feet above Midtown Manhattan from base to antenna. The $165 million reimagination of the Empire State Building Observatory Experience creates an all-new experience with a dedicated guest entrance, an interactive museum with nine galleries, and a redesigned 102nd Floor Observatory with floor-to-ceiling windows. The journey to the world-famous 86th Floor Observatory, the only 360-degree, open-air observatory with views of New York and beyond, orients visitors for their entire New York City experience and covers everything from the building's iconic history to its current place in pop culture. The Empire State Building Observatory Experience welcomes millions of visitors each year and was declared "America's Favorite Building" by the American Institute of Architects, the world's most popular travel destination by Uber, the #1 attraction in the US for the second year in a row in Tripadvisor’s 2023 Travelers’ Choice Awards: Best of the Best, and the #1 New York City attraction in Lonely Planet’s Ultimate Travel List.
Since 2011, the building has been fully powered by renewable wind electricity, and its many floors house a diverse array of office tenants such as LinkedIn and Shutterstock, as well as retail options like STATE Grill and Bar, Tacombi, and Starbucks. For more information and Observatory Experience tickets visit esbnyc.com or follow the building's Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, Weibo, YouTube, or TikTok.
Source: Empire State Realty Trust
Category: Observatory
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240430558058/en/
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
The Blind Sailor Takes the Stage at WEF: "HIRO’s CHOICE" Project to Set Sail13.1.2026 05:00:00 CET | Press release
A Solo, Non-Stop Crossing of the Pacific Ocean “Blind Sailor Single-Handed Pacific Crossing Project 2027” is a world-first initiative in which Mitsuhiro Iwamoto, a completely blind Japanese yachtsman (blind sailor) based in San Diego, will attempt a solo, non-stop trans-Pacific crossing in the spring of 2027. Sailing a 28-foot yacht single-handedly, he aims to cross the Pacific Ocean from San Diego on the U.S. West Coast to Amakusa, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, without making port. Iwamoto will speak about this project at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026, to be held in January 2026. Project URL: https://hiros-choice.com/ This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260108087321/en/ Hiro Iwamoto / Global Keynote Speaker, First Totally Blind Sailor to Cross the Pacific The message he most wishes to convey at the WEF is the power of choice. He lost his sight at the age of sixteen—a moment when he nearly gave up on
MarkLines Gen-AI Beta Version Released for Automotive Industry13.1.2026 01:00:00 CET | Press release
MarkLines Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President & CEO: Makoto Sakai; TYO:3901) announced its launch of the "MarkLines Gen-AI Beta Version," the new feature for B2B users in the automotive industry. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260112383839/en/ "MarkLines Gen-AI Beta Version" can take questions in natural language and instantly give highly reliable, relevant data drawn from MarkLines’ extensive automotive database (Image: MarkLines Co., Ltd.) This AI-powered feature enables users to ask questions in natural language and instantly receive highly reliable, relevant data drawn from MarkLines’ extensive automotive database. Moreover, the system analyzes this information by leveraging the rich content across its platform and delivers clear, concise, text-based insights. By combining trusted data with advanced analytical capabilities through generative AI, this service represents a first-of-its-kind
Australian Defence Force Secures Satellite Communications on SES IS-2212.1.2026 22:30:00 CET | Press release
New agreement for uninterrupted UHF connectivity for Australian Defence Force through 2033, With Options Extending to 2041 Satellite communications solutions provider SES will provide secure uninterrupted satellite communications to the Australian Defence Force (ADF) for a minimum of 16 years thanks to a new extended agreement. The service will be provided via the SES Intelsat 22 satellite and an ultra-high frequency (UHF) military communications payload. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260112137182/en/ Assistant Secretary Space Systems Branch, Michael Hunt, formalizes contract negotiations for the through-life support of the IS-22 satellite with Rory Welch, senior vice-president of service delivery at SES Space and Defense. Photos: Corporal Annika Smit Under the renewed arrangement, SES will reposition the IS-22 satellite to a new orbital slot specified by the ADF, continuing a mission that has been the corne
NetApp Appoints Paul Fipps to the Board of Directors12.1.2026 22:05:00 CET | Press release
NetApp® (NASDAQ: NTAP), the intelligent data infrastructure company, today announced that Paul Fipps, President of Global Customer Operations at ServiceNow, has joined its Board of Directors. The board now has ten directors, nine of whom are independent, and 50% of whom have been appointed within the last five years. Fipps brings more than 20 years of experience driving technology-enabled growth and customer transformation. At ServiceNow, he currently leads global sales, customer success, partner ecosystems, and field operations. He previously served as EVP of Worldwide Sales at ServiceNow and as President of Under Armour Connected Fitness and Chief Experience Officer at Under Armour, overseeing global direct-to-consumer, connected fitness, and digital experiences. He also previously served on the advisory board of Quantum Metric. Fipps holds a B.S. in Information Systems, an MBA from the University of Baltimore, and is a graduate of The Wharton School’s Advanced Management Program. “P
FDA Accepts New Drug Application for Pimicotinib for the Treatment of Tenosynovial Giant Cell Tumor12.1.2026 20:00:00 CET | Press release
Not intended for Canada-, UK- or US-based media Merck, a leading science and technology company, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted the company’s new drug application (NDA) for pimicotinib as a systemic treatment for patients with tenosynovial giant cell tumor (TGCT). The application is based on the primary results and longer-term follow-up of the global Phase 3 MANEUVER study, which demonstrated deep and durable tumor responses and meaningful improvements in clinical outcomes with pimicotinib. “With pimicotinib, we have an opportunity to significantly advance care for people living with TGCT, a painful and debilitating disease that has few effective and well-tolerated treatment options beyond surgery,” said David Weinreich, Global Head of R&D and Chief Medical Officer for the Healthcare business of Merck. “Based on clinical trial results showing not only a reduction in tumor burden, but also the ability to help alleviate symptoms like pain an
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom