A brand reading
The New York Times.
Sage The record of what happened.
The Sage expressed institutionally. The Times sells a subscription, but what it actually sells is the assurance that someone, somewhere, is keeping the record. The 2017 ‘The Truth Is’ campaign was the Sage finally raising its voice.
The reading.
Sage with a Hero counterweight, expressed.
- Character
- Sage
- Drive
- Wisdom, intellect, expertise, information, guidance.
- Fear
- Ignorance, instability, powerlessness, falsehood, imprecision.
- Strategy
- Use knowledge and information to help people understand the world.
- Counterweight
- Hero
- Opportunity
- News chased speed. The record-of-record lane was open.
- Diagnostic
- Expressed
The Sage as the record. The Times sells the assurance that someone is keeping the account, and it will correct itself in public when wrong. The Hero counterweight is the moment it raises its voice for the truth.
Famous spot
The Truth Is Hard, 2017