The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age have unveiled a new brand and subscriber campaign, Here’s To Reason, positioning the mastheads as voices of balance in an increasingly divided media landscape.
Created with Publicis Worldwide Australia, the campaign highlights how both titles aim to offer facts, context and perspective in a news environment that often rewards polarisation and outrage.
Grounded in audience research and behavioural data, the campaign reflects feedback that readers rely on the Herald and The Age to help navigate complex issues.
“We know from our data and our research that audiences are hungry for news they can rely on, and we have an important role to play in a world that’s increasingly dominated by extremes,” said Vera Straubinger, Head of Brand & Acquisition at Nine.
“This campaign celebrates Sydneysiders and Melburnians who look to the Herald and The Age for intelligent, responsible reporting. It’s a campaign built with both our readers and our newsrooms at the heart of it.”
For the first time, the creative has been produced in two tailored versions, reflecting the distinct cultures of Sydney and Melbourne. The campaign films feature real subscribers from both cities.
When asked by Mediaweek why the Brisbane Times was not included in the rollout, a Nine spokesperson said: “The Brisbane Times had its own separate brand campaign launch in 2023 so it runs on a separate schedule.”
Editorial and marketing partnership
Unusually for a subscriber push, editorial staff were closely involved in shaping the campaign message.
Journalists and editors contributed from the outset, ensuring the positioning reflected newsroom values as well as brand objectives.
“At a time when the world’s most powerful man wants to sack comedians and pin autism on Panadol, reason is in short supply,” said Luke McIlveen, Executive Editor of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.
“Now more than ever, our journalism needs to be courageous, deeply reported and always suspicious of government and corporate influence. This campaign reflects The Age and the Herald’s commitment to give readers the full picture – not just a shrill headline or an inflammatory position for clicks.”
The campaign launch will be supported by editorial initiatives including subscriber notes from editors, special front pages and print wraps outlining how the newsrooms deliver balanced perspectives.
Luke McIlveen, Executive Editor of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age
Creative direction and rollout
The campaign creative is anchored in striking black-and-white portraits and films of everyday Australians, cast directly from Sydney and Melbourne streets to reflect diverse perspectives.
“Reason is the great unifier,” said Ryan Petie, Executive Creative Director of Publicis Worldwide.
“We might all have different views, opinions, perspectives – but at the end of the day, we all crave balanced news so we can make up our own minds about the issues we care most about. This piece of work is a rallying cry for reason.”
The campaign will run across multiple channels in NSW and Victoria, including TV, streaming, cinema, audio, print, digital, social, and out-of-home, from 29 September to 9 November.