Back in 2017, the New York Times debuted its first brand campaign in a decade at the Oscars with a simple, typography-driven ad illustrating how the “truth is hard.” Since then, the idea of “truth” has become an enduring anchor for the brand’s message, leading to gripping campaigns like the “Truth Is Worth It,” which unraveled the hard work behind NYT journalists’ big headlines. Celebrated for both its impactful, enduring message about why NYT reporting is worth paying for as well as its exquisite craft, it earned both Film and Film Craft Grand Prix at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Arguably, it was a tough one to top, but the New York Times and Droga5 managed to do so with the spot we crown our No. 1 idea of the year, which conveys the highs, the lows, the struggles, the heartbreak and even the mundane of the past year in a single “visual poem”—woven together through the lens of NYT headlines and with a seductive track from jazz drummer Makaya McCraven. Moreso than any campaign we saw this year, the ad elegantly captured the 2020 roller coaster with the gravity it deserved but also the levity we needed—just as the Times did with its reporting.
