'NYT' Image Effort Adds TV, Web Site

NEW YORK The New York Times, in its third wave of ads in its "These times demand the Times" brand image campaign, adds a TV spot and a dedicated Web site to the marketing mix.A 60-second TV spot that breaks Monday depicts the making of a newspaper edition in reverse, beginning with a man reading a story on his office computer at the end of the day and ending with a close-up of a reporter and her notebook.In between are shots depicting the interview of a source, a news meeting, a reporter writing the story on screen and the newspaper rolling off a printing press. Those images are juxtaposed with scenes from the reader's day, also unfolding in reverse.A male voiceover mentions expanded distribution, fast presses and continuous story updates but, in the end, concludes, "It's about the quality of the journalism. Period. End of story."Directed by Partizan's David Gaddie, the spot also was cut in a 30-second version. Both versions will run through April.The dedicated site, www.thesetimesdemandthetimes.com, features a link to the spot and profiles of reporters and columnists who are featured in print supplements. The site also provides links for subscribing to the paper and accessing a media kit.The Times, which typically spends around $20 million in major measured media annually, did not disclose a budget for the latest effort, which was created in-house.The "These times" campaign, which began with a print spread in September, positions the paper and its staff as essential to grasping the complexities of today's world. Profiles of reporters such as Robin Toner and David Gonzalez also underscore the passion and diversity of the staff."Our point of difference is our journalism," said Alyse Myers, svp, chief marketing officer at the Times.Previously, the campaign was limited to print spreads, radio and Web banner ads and outdoor posters.Separately, Myers confirmed that the Times has split with New York shop Anomaly. The independent agency worked for the New York client for about 18 months on numerous strategic and creative projects, including the launch of TimesSelect and outdoor ads for T, the newspaper's style magazine.Anomaly principal Carl Johnson attributed the split to strategic differences. "The New York Times faces fundamental business and brand issues," he said. "To properly address these issues, the client and agency need to be 100 percent aligned. We weren't."The newspaper will continue to create its brand image ad efforts internally, Myers said. "We know our brand better than anyone else," she explained.

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'NYT' Image Effort Adds TV, Web Site

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