Photo: The New York Times
The New York Times will on Thursday debut the next wave of ads from its "The Truth Is Worth It" brand campaign — including an Oscars ad.
Why it matters: It speaks to a bigger trend of large publishers taking out splashy television ads to promote their brands. The Washington Post ran a Super Bowl ad last year. The Times ran its first Oscars ad in 2017.
Details: The new ads will be centered around the Times' "'The 1619 Project," a big editorial project from the NYT that focuses on examining the legacy of slavery in America. The project launched around the 400th anniversary of slaves coming to Virginia.
- The 30-second commercial that will premiere during the Oscars on Sunday will feature singer, actor and producer Janelle Monáe.
- It features a scene of a woman standing at the coast in Hampton, Virginia, the site where the first enslaved Africans were recorded being brought to Britain's North American colonies.
- The Times says this location at Point Comfort, which is known as "Hampton Roads," is what inspired the cover photo for "The 1619 Project'" magazine issue.
The big picture: The bigger ad campaign includes national television, digital, social media and print advertising.
- The campaign was developed creative agency Droga5, which The Times worked with on its first Oscars ad in 2017.
- The ad that will debut Sunday was directed by artist and filmmaker Jenn Nkiru.