NYTimes Launching New Ad Campaign

The New York Times is taking the unusual and expensive step of advertising during the Academy Awards on Sunday, joining companies like McDonalds, Samsung and Anheuser-Busch in paying top dollar for commercial spots during the awards show.

According to Politico, the newspaper is using the Oscars platform to launch a multi-faceted ad campaign, centered around the Times’ pursuit of “The Truth.” It’s the paper’s first television brand campaign in a decade, and according to Times executives, is likely the first time they’ve ever advertised during such a popular primetime TV event.

The 30-second ad spot is simple. A white background with black text starts with the words “The truth is our nation is more divided than ever,” while a woman’s voice, meant to sound like a news clip, reads the same line. The lines change, though “The truth is” stays in place.

Thirty second ad spots for the Oscars can run as much as $2.5 million each, according to Broadcasting and Cable Magazine, meaning the Times is paying a hefty fee for their splashy campaign. Over the past decade, Academy Awards broadcasts have averaged between 34 and 44 million live viewers, an audience only matched by NFL games.



In addition to the Oscars ad, the Times is taking out a national television and digital ad buy, and is setting up billboards in Los Angeles, Washington, New York and San Francisco, said David Rubin, senior vice president and head of brand.