The FT targets US growth with interactive 3D infographics at New York’s Grand Central Station

The Financial Times is putting on a bit of a show in New York this week, with Grand Central Terminal’s Vanderbilt Hall subjected to an interactive marketing campaign aimed at capturing the imagination of its US readers.

FT Graphic World features a series of 3D interactive film projections created in collaboration with writer and designer David McCandless, author of Information is Beautiful. Projected onto a wall, the infographics tell stories of three topics in line with the global breadth of the FT’s news and analysis: The US and the global economy; The mobile technology revolution and The global recovery.

Using a touch-sensitive floor mat, visitors can also interact with the films and explore their content in greater detail.

The general public can visit the installation at Vanderbilt Hall until March 29, and it’s open from 7:00AM-9:00 PM (EST).

Earlier this month, we reported that FT.com’s UK subscription revenue is on course to overtake ad-income in 2012, and the publication has seen a 26% year-on-year growth in online readership and a 68% rise in mobile users.

The campaign represents a substantial investment in the US market for The Financial Times, where its digital subscriptions grew by more than 30% in 2011. This latest campaign seeks to capitalize on this recent surge.

“In an age of big data and complex financial systems, both effective storytelling and a global view are key to understanding what’s happening and what will happen next in international trends and the economy,” said McCandless. “With an unrivaled journalistic pedigree and a strong global perspective, the FT is a great partner for this endeavor, which marks the new direction for the data visualization field.”

The campaign is being supported by online banner advertisements, outdoor advertising in Times Square and on taxi screens across New York City.

Meanwhile, here’s a video interview with David McCandless about the project, check out this video of the event being put together, including demos of the the infographics in action.