“Smart is the new sexy,” says the Newspaper Association of America.
The NAA launched a new campaign last week designed to promote the value of newspaper media. In a press release, the NAA said the “campaign celebrates the distinctive editorial, advertising and community attributes delivered by newspapers.”
Three different ads leverage a blend of engaging illustrations and entertaining anecdotes to reinforce the value of newspaper media among existing and prospective consumers.
Highlighting the multiplatform experience that is today’s newspaper, QR codes and digital prompts link audiences to a campaign Web page, where they are encouraged to share their own connection with newspapers through social networking tools like Twitter and Facebook.
“The newspaper brand remains very strong in the hearts and minds of consumers,” said NAA President and CEO Caroline Little. “The campaign speaks to the many reasons people value their newspapers, and to the various platforms through which newspapers deliver that value.”
Mike Hughes, president of The Martin Agency, said about the campaign which his company created, “We’re delighted with the ‘Smart is the new sexy’ tagline: The truth is that being smart is important and attractive.”
The campaign comes on the heels of recent findings from comScore that indicate a 20 percent year-over-year increase in total visits to newspaper websites in the most recent survey period and double digit growth in other audience engagement categories.
How are newspapers important to you?
Cynthia's Communique 
It’s great to see a national campaign that celebrates the value of newspaper content and character, and reminds people that they can get that content in the ways that suit them.
I’ll always want my paper copy, but others can get the same information from a newspaper website or, increasingly, links directly to smart phones and tablets.