Meet Melted Solids, the Scrappy Agency Behind Zohran Mamdani’s Primary-Winning Campaign

Zohran Mamdani’s unexpected win as the Democratic nominee in New York’s mayoral primary stunned the political establishment. It also surprised the scrappy team of filmmakers behind his viral campaign videos.

The agency driving the creative charge isn’t a traditional political consultancy but a small, Brooklyn-based collective that operates more like a guerrilla production studio than a buttoned-up firm: Melted Solids. Founded in 2019 by Debbie Saslaw and Anthony DiMieri, the agency’s only full-time staffers, Melted Solids aims to blend sharp storytelling with humor, a strong social media presence, and a focus on capturing genuine, relatable moments.

Saslaw told ADWEEK that Melted Solids’ process on Mamdani’s campaign was collaborative and often chaotic. A team of professionals—including communications director Andrew Epstein, videographer Donald Borenstein and Kara McCurdy, Mamdani’s campaign photographer since 2020—contributed to the campaign. Mamdani’s wife, Rama, also created animations for several viral videos.

Borenstein, who initially joined as a volunteer in early 2025, became a key force behind the campaign’s day-to-day video output. As the election neared, they stepped into a full-time role, often working “nearly 24/7,” according to DiMieri. While Saslaw and DiMieri balanced other gigs until the final month, Borenstein’s steady presence helped sustain the campaign’s rapid content cadence.

That DIY approach has defined Melted Solids’ ethos from the start. “The concept was: ‘Who do we know that has incredible camera gear, is a professional audio mixer, and really wants to do something politically?’” DiMieri said. “It’s nice to use those skills for something you care about.”

Amplifying everyday voices

Melted Solids has been working with Mamdani for the last five years, including projects like the “Fix the MTA” campaign of 2022, which featured Mamdani riding buses with commuters to highlight the challenges of everyday New Yorkers. The campaign also proposed phasing out bus fares over four years.

Leading up to the 2025 primary, the campaign comprised several viral videos that showcased Mamdani across all five boroughs. Mamdani plunged into Coney Island waters to advocate for rent freezes. A Valentine’s Day video contained voter registration info hidden inside a box of chocolates. Another video documented Mamdani’s interactions at the Puerto Rican Day Parade after receiving AOC’s endorsement.

Its messaging was simple: amplifying the challenges facing everyday, working-class residents.

“I’m [a] marketer and storyteller, and what I thought was necessary and needed in the political space was the ability to speak to regular New Yorkers, like using advertising… as a vessel to hear their concerns,” Saslaw told ADWEEK. “It’s not about Cuomo; it’s not about Adams. They’ve got everybody in New York feeling like they can’t live here anymore–myself and Anthony included.”

Saslaw and DiMieri both have high-profile backgrounds in media and advertising. Saslaw spent years crafting high-profile campaigns for HBO and Showtime, while DiMieri previously worked as an editor at agencies like Digitas and 72andSunny and on political campaigns for Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton.

DiMieri, who also co-produces the popular Instagram series SubwayTakes that discusses current events on the subway, applied his social media savvy to Mamdani’s campaign. “We wanted to make content that got eyeballs, got followers, and could win in the social media space,” DiMieri said. “Our content strategy was variety and experimentation. If something’s working, we’ll do it once—and if it works, we’ll do it as a series.”

The campaign’s success has helped cultivate genuine, organic enthusiasm online. One X post cracking, “you can just tweet ‘Zohran Mamdani’ immediately get 1000 likes,” drew over 17 million views, and sparked tens of thousands of reposts as users tested the claim.

While Melted Solids led the social and video creative, other firms shaped the campaign as well. Fight, a New York-based creative agency known for digital-first progressive campaigns, handled TV ads and contributed to media strategy and targeting. Forge, a Philadelphia-based design co-op founded by Aneesh Bhoopathy and Phil Ditzler, crafted Mamdani’s distinctive branding—cobalt blue and marigold yellow, inspired by NYC taxis and Bollywood posters.

According to DiMieri, Mamdani’s momentum has also helped Melted Solids grow from a scrappy two-person shop into a go-to creative partner for progressive causes. In fact, several of the agency’s new clients came through Mamdani’s network, including Alliance for Paseo Park, an advocacy group for pedestrian-friendly streets in Jackson Heights; Triage, a student-led climate action group; and Jews for Racial and Economic Justice, a group Mamdani has worked with for years.

“Working with Zohran has been a real gift that keeps on giving,” he added. “He’s that good of an organizer—he knows those people.”

Looking ahead to the mayoral election in November, Saslaw and DiMieri’s strategy remains simple yet effective. “We’re ready to literally dispatch videographers all over New York City,” Saslaw said. “But the message stays the same: Let ordinary people tell the story.”

While discussing Mamdani’s rival, Andrew Cuomo, DiMieri said, “I feel like if they’re going to spend $100 million against him in negative advertising and trying to make people afraid of him… the counter is people spending time with him through the medium of video and seeing how authentic he actually is.” Cuomo told the New York Times that he is weighing his options in continuing to run in the election as an independent candidate.

DiMieri added, “And the strategy is working.”