Subway Takes, the Instagram account where people share their hot takes while riding the New York City Subway, has grown to more than 2 million followers and booked A-list celebrity guests like Cate Blanchett and Jason Bateman.
And host Kareem Rahma isn’t changing the show’s premise or format, no matter how big it gets.
“I’ve been always pushing against changing the show, against any new variation of it,” he said on stage at ADWEEK’s Social Media Week in New York. “I’ve always been very aggressive about trying to keep the DNA of the show to be mostly independent comedians, independent writers, independent filmmakers, independent models, independent whatever, with a couple of bonafide celebrities.”
To him, that’s authentic to who you might see riding the subway in New York: “You can go on the subway and see Ethan Hawke. Sometimes famous people take the subway.”
It’s this commitment to authenticity that has made Subway Takes a breakout social media success. Rahma only books guests he finds interesting—people he would want to grab a beer with. His bar for good content is, is he entertained?
“My filter is, am I having fun? If I’m being entertained, then I am successful,” he said.
That often means turning down celebrities or creators, even if they are famous or have big follower counts. Recently, for instance, Rahma turned down a pitch from DJ Tiesto because he’s not interested in EDM.
He has a similar barometer for measuring success. Rather than falling into the “data trap” of metrics, which can “suppress creativity and innovation,” he stays focused on what motivates him creatively.
“Cultural relevance is really what you’re looking for in success,” said Reza Izad, co-founder and co-CEO of Underscore Talent, which reps Rahma. “Are people sharing it? Are people engaging with it?”
Brands make ‘everything possible’
Staying true to the show’s brand is especially important when engaging with other brands. But Rahma said he was never hesitant about bringing advertisers into Subway Takes. When he started, he was self-funding production at about $2,000 an episode.
“I wouldn’t be able to make the show without funding from brands, and I wouldn’t be able to then take some of that money and invest in new shows,” he said. “The brand component of it makes everything possible.”
But according to Izad, keeping a “rigid structure” is key to successful collaborations.
He described the way brands can engage with Subway Takes as “very, very specific”: they can integrate with the show’s “100% agree/disagree” format or co-develop a new content series with Rahma.
