Real New Yorker Merit Badges

This election season, New Yorkers can wear their city pride on their sleeve—literally. Creative company Zulu Alpha Kilo New York (Z.A.K. NY) is launching a playful and powerful ode to New York City: a limited-edition set of 25 collectible merit badges featuring the experiences that make someone a true New Yorker, with all proceeds supporting GoVoteNYC.

From crying openly in public to hauling a couch to your fifth-floor walk-up, the badges are a whimsical nod to the rites of passage earned by New Yorkers across all five boroughs.

“Living in New York has always been a badge of honor. We just finally made it official,” says Meghan Mullen, Managing Director at Z.A.K. NY. “As a Brooklyn-based agency, these badges are our love letter to the city—and a rallying cry to show up and vote like a true New Yorker.”

Designed by New York illustrator Clara Kirkpatrick and produced locally, each vintage-inspired badge captures a unique “achievement” only New Yorkers understand. Honoring the street smarts, small joys, and shared absurdities of life in the city, the iron-on badges are equal parts charming, nostalgic, and proudly unhinged—just like New York itself.

In line with Z.A.K. NY’s tradition of unconventional, cause-driven work rooted in the city’s culture—including 2023’s Splash Spots for Street Lab in partnership with Group Project—all proceeds will be donated to GoVoteNYC, a non-partisan organization dedicated to educating, engaging, and mobilizing voters in New York City.

“We love that GoVoteNYC is dedicated to getting New Yorkers engaged in the civic process,” says Tim Gordon, Chief Creative Officer and Partner at Z.A.K. NY. “These merit badges are about leaning into that pride while celebrating the humor and heart of the city we call home.”

Get yours:
The full set of 25 badges will be available starting October 28, 2025, at https://www.nycmeritbadge.com, while supplies last.