Commentary

NYT "Year in Review" Campaign Highlights Year's Most Compelling Stories

Coming off a banner year that saw subscriptions soar — to 3.5 million — The New York Times announced the launch of its online “Year in Review” feature, supported by an ad campaign last week.

The ads are slated to run outdoors in Brooklyn and Chicago and across digital and social media through January 7. The print campaign  ran in the December 24 issue of the newspaper.

2017 was a tumultuous year for the news media and the country. “New Missile is Bigger and More Powerful,” “Build the Wall,” and “She’s 26 and Brought Down the CEO” are just a few of the stories appearing in the graphically bold, yet simple ad.

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This year, the paper broke the Harvey Weinstein sexual-abuse case wide open, reported in-depth on the hardships faced by Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria, and covered the many abuses of power enacted by the Trump administration.

What becomes most interesting about the round up of stories: They reveal journalism as a time capsule of the year. A scroll through the most-read stories of 2017 has an emotional effect on a reader. The stories connect The Times' audience with the past 12-month’s news cycle.

“We direct attention to the topics and issues that matter most to our readers, so we can add value to their everyday lives, and ultimately, help our readers  understand the world,” Janis Huang, managing director, brand media strategy for The Times, told Publishing Insider.

The campaign is also an opportunity to attract more subscribers. 

“Digital is a big part of who we are, and there is a ton of scale in digital, but there is an opportunity to have a deeper connection with our readers when we can be part of their physical world, too,” Huang says. She notes that while results from outdoor displays maybe be “more difficult to measure,” they also allows the newspaper to be out in the world with its readers. 

The Times is currently working with partners to measure the impact of outdoor advertising. 

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