In case you ever doubted it, recent conversations about ad blockers and this kind of insane New York Times review of ad data on top news sites reinforce the fact that advertising is the core of media.
But we still find it a little odd when an agency works to promote a media company. The now-shuttered GS&P New York filled the subway with clever promos for The New York Post last year, and now TBWA\Chiat\Day N.Y. has released a campaign for one of its newest clients: “major multinational mass media and information firm” Thomson Reuters.
The idea behind the work is simple: you, the consumer, have questions–and Thomson Reuters has the answers you need. So don’t even bother consulting with anyone else.
In case you didn’t get it, TR just dissed the hell out of the digital-first media industry. The copy in this spot very strongly implies that most such outlets are not reliable sources of information and that, if readers doubt the integrity of the source, they should stick with old reliable…which in this case happens to be Thomson Reuters.
It’s kind of a moot point for the general public at a time when most readers don’t even think about media “brands” when seeking news unless they’re all about partisan politics. But TR, like its chief competitor Bloomberg, is aiming for a different sort of audience. As the homepage/campaign page makes clear, the client’s product isn’t just breaking news and analysis–it also provides up-to-the-minute financial information and related services in its “knowledge center.” From the site:
“We combine industry expertise with innovative technology to deliver critical information to leading decision makers in professional markets.”
TBWA frames TR as a source of reassurance amidst a growing sea (or “proverbial haystack”) of fakers, so consulting it is kind of like reading the Sunday print edition of the New York Times while seated in your La-Z-Boy. We do question the framing of Pope Francis as a source of “trusted answers,” though.