USA TODAY Crossword Plays to the Times
Opportunity
Newspaper puzzles are a beloved part of many legacy news brands, but the USA TODAY Crossword faced stiff competition from other giants — especially The New York Times whose notoriously difficult puzzle had become the gold standard for hardcore cruciverbalists. As USA TODAY prepared to launch its Crossword app and subscription offering, it needed to carve out a clear and compelling edge to drive downloads and demonstrate the value of a paid subscription.
Approach
I led a positioning exercise that landed on the core insight that our audience sought puzzles that challenge them, but also leave them feeling accomplished, not defeated. The creative approach thus leaned into the joy of solving, contrasting USA TODAY’s puzzle with The New York Times’ crossword. Ads invited casual solvers to play the Times on Monday (its easiest day), then switch to USA TODAY’s for the rest of the week to enjoy wordplay that doesn’t play you back. To spark more buzz and friendly rivalry, the campaign came to life with DOOH placements across NYC, including directly in front of The New York Times office building.
Impact
App install lift
Significant tracked app install lift for the USA TODAY Crossword, coordinating with the DOOH and digital campaign flights
Trade coverage
Dedicated coverage in Adweek surrounding the campaign approach
Hermes Award
Recognized with Gold in the 2022 Hermes Creative Awards
DOOH Ad Live Outside the NYT Building
The Team Behind the Campaign
Ad Creative
Adweek Coverage