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"Smart is the new sexy" is the newspaper industry's attempt to save itself
By Alex HeiglJuly 29th, 2011, 5:00 pmComments (17)
Do you guys remember print journalism? Well, it's still kicking despite multiple reports of its demise, and its latest attempt at saving itself is a new campaign called "Smart is the new sexy."
The Newspaper Association of America unveiled the new campaign Friday — it's currently being tested in eight markets.
The full copy that accompanies the tag:
"Be able find Iran on a map. Know what the city council's up to behind closed doors. Find out how to make a Peanut Butter Icebox Pie from scratch. Get it all in the newspaper — online or in print. Because a little depth looks great on you."
Well, ignoring the obvious, which is that all of those facts are available to any smartphone-toting Joe on the street, I'm amused that the newspaper industry is asserting that their contribution to the zeitgeist is "a little depth."
Donna Barrett, NAA board member had this to say about the new campaign:
"Literally, everyone at the agency, everyone on our committee, and then everyone on the board had a 100-percent positive reaction to that headline. It sets a fun new tone for [the industry]. Who doesn't want to be perceived as smart and sexy? And if you can tie the two together? All the better!"
First: holy hyperbole, Barrett — literally everyone likes the new slogan? Either you know disturbingly few people or you're lying. And the wild-eyed desperation in her tone is palpable: I'm willing to bet jobs are in the balance here.
Secondly, that slogan is just dumb. Nothing is the new sexy. Sexy is the new sexy, just as it was the old sexy. And shouldn't "smart" stand on its own merits? Why are we trying to "sell" being informed and aware of things by tying it to having good bone structure and/or dressing well?
Commentarium (17 Comments)
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People with smartphones look up what they want to know. It's not the same as browsing an online or print newspaper and seeing things that catch your eye and learning more about them. I think it's a smart campaign. So many people are so so dumb and they're getting dumber. Having a little common sense and being aware of current events are certainly merits to brag about.
I don't agree that it's a good campaign. The problem isn't that people are not seeing things that catch their eyes, rather that they're not picking up the paper at all. HuffPo and Drudge have replaced newspapers. Those who pick up on that and generalize it will do very well.
I didn't say people not seeing things that catch their eyes was the problem. I'm saying that when you browse an online or print paper you're more likely to find information you weren't necessarily looking for that is good to know. You're saying people aren't picking up the paper and thats exactly what this campaign is trying to remedy. What would you suggest?
What would I suggest? Abandoning a failing model.
I think The Daily from NewsCorp has the right idea. It's pretty successful too, from what I hear.
"Be able find Iran on a map"
My topical humour is so much better if I've been reading the paper regularly.
i don't actually think it's that far-fetched that all the members of a smallish company could agree on a slogan. i like the slogan for the same reason i like newspapers: it captures their sense of eclecticism. there are a certain handful of internet news sites that i visit often, but the fact is, they each report certain types of articles, whereas i might see a headline or a photo in a newspaper that intrigues me and is outside of my usual interests.
also, it kind of sucks how completely we rely on our expensive ishit, computers, smart phones, etc. i would hate to have my phone die on me in a waiting room and not have a physical paper to read.
no one's "selling" the merits of information and awareness... they're selling newspapers. "smart is the new sexy" is a bit of a cliche, sure, and basically i think the only people that kind of shit works on are those who read papers only because they're trying to look smart, but all things considered this article seems like snobbery. it's taken internet magazines a long time to gain any real credit, and now that they finally have it, this is just schoolyard crap, rubbing in a victory.
i want news in print and online. don't make me choose.
I have to say, I don't get it. Newspapers aren't about depth, they're about getting a taste of a broad selection of current events. If you want depth, read a book, read a book, read a motherfucking book.
I think it's a terrible line. The fact that all of these questions could be answered with more efficacy and accuracy on the internet is completely valid. If you can't think of three things your paper can do better than the internet, why should people read it instead? Because it was around first? Not good enough.
Preach it, homeslice.
I worked under the lucrative title of an ad designer for the sole daily newspaper for a town of about 100,000, and it's surrounding areas, which generally have the added benefit of not having their local news worth being covered by too many multiple other sources (a few radio stations...barely any bloggers). Despite the lack of competition, about the most vivid thing I remember was the plummeting revenue during each annual company-wide meeting. Glad I got the fuck out of dodge. Horrible industry.
I think it is - it should be - all about making a newspaper a fashionable gadget (I mean, the campaign). Like, you know: "Ohhh, he's reading a NEWSPAPER! How stylish!". The same, in fact, is about the books nowadays.
And about the slogan: I like it. Sense_of_humour, y'all! Anyway, this line appeared in The Big Bang Theory some time ago.
I was so confused about what to buy, but this makes it undsetrandable.
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who cares what stupid slogans they come up with, once they start printing the truth then ill start reading. i dont want to read their mostly liberal bs. i pick up a newspaper i read ignorant morons talk down about the fraud of global warming, obamacare, talk down tea party, ect and im not paying for that ignorant garbage. i bet if you look at conservative newspapers they are doing just fine.