Laura Forde, this week’s Milton Glaser Guest Lecturer, talked about all things New York Times, notably the branding strategy. Laura is the Executive Creative Director of Marketing at The New York Times and yes, her job is as cool as it sounds — we learned so many exciting things.

Even through the lock-down of Covid-19, Laura said how lucky she was to love her job; and that while it is different this year, she continues to keep the ball rolling with new and innovative ways to advertise the NYT.

She took us on a journey through the history of The New York Times logo. She told us how before she came on board they were using the logo and the Time “T,” everywhere and for everything. “There wasn’t a huge visual consistency.” She guided us through her team’s solutions for that  essential problem and the changes was eye opening. 

She then discussed projects where she was the lead, including an all-important ad series on the truth behind “fake news.” The campaign went viral as signs and social media. “That is my dream in a way — my print ad as a piece of activism,” she said.

We also loved hearing about her fresh and interesting ways to make the Times innovative and appeal to a wider audience. She explained her role on the VR cardboard goggles that the New York Times sent out to readers a few years ago to enhance its content. I especially loved hearing about this because I was so impacted by that piece at the time. Hearing that she was the brains behind this was a very “star struck” moment. Awesome! 

We feel privileged to have had a sneak peek inside of Laura Forde’s busy and fabulous life. Thank you so much Laura!