The SMH + The Age launch new ‘Here’s to Reason’ campaign via Publicis Worldwide Australia

The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age have today unveiled ‘Here’s to reason’ – a new brand and subscriber campaign making a powerful statement on the value of balanced, responsible journalism in a deeply polarised world.

The campaign, created in partnership with Publicis Worldwide Australia, speaks to the millions of Australians who reject extremism and misinformation, and value informed debate, diverse perspectives and nuanced reporting.

Grounded in reader insights and behavioural data, the campaign reflects what audiences have long told us: that The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age help them navigate a complex and divided world.

‘Here’s to Reason’ underlines the mastheads’ role as trusted voices for Australians who want not just information, but quality content that provides facts, context, and perspective.

“We know from our data and our research that audiences are hungry for news they can rely on, and we have an important role to play in a world that’s increasingly dominated by extremes. This campaign celebrates Sydneysiders and Melburnians who look to the Herald and The Age for intelligent, responsible reporting. It’s a campaign built with both our readers and our newsrooms at the heart of it,” says Vera Straubinger, Head of Brand & Acquisition at Nine.

For the first time, the campaign has been produced in two distinct versions, tailored to reflect the character of each city. The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age campaign films feature several Sydney and Melbourne subscribers, capturing the nuances of each city’s culture and audience.

‘Here’s to reason’ also represents an integrated effort between marketing and editorial teams. Journalists and editors have been closely involved from the outset, ensuring the campaign’s core message is not only a brand proposition but a genuine reflection of the purpose and focus of our newsrooms.

The campaign also serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining reason in a media environment which increasingly targets the far ends of the spectrum.

The editorial and marketing partnership will evolve this week with a series of content initiatives to launch the campaign, including subscriber notes from editors, and special front pages and wraps for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald print editions, outlining the approach our newsrooms take when bringing balanced perspectives to life every day.

“At a time when the world’s most powerful man wants to sack comedians and pin autism on Panadol, reason is in short supply. Now more than ever, our journalism needs to be courageous, deeply reported and always suspicious of government and corporate influence. This campaign reflects The Age and the Herald’s commitment to give readers the full picture – not just a shrill headline or an inflammatory position for clicks”, says Executive Editor Luke McIlveen.

The creative features striking black-and-white portraits and films of everyday Australians, cast directly from the streets of Sydney and Melbourne. These portraits anchor the creative, capturing the diversity of perspectives that make up our cities while uniting them through a shared belief in balanced news.

“Reason is the great unifier. We might all have different views, opinions, perspectives – but at the end of the day, we all crave balanced news so we can make up our own minds about the issues we care most about. This piece of work is a rallying cry for reason,” says Ryan Petie, Executive Creative Director of Publicis Worldwide.

The first flight of the new campaign will run from September 29 to November 9 across television, streaming, cinema, audio, print, digital, social, and large and small format out-of-home channels across New South Wales and Victoria.

Nine Entertainment
Director of Audience Growth, Publishing: Aimie Rigas
Head of Brand & Acquisition: Vera Straubinger
Senior Marketing Manager Brand & Acquisition: Kymberley Joseph
Marketing Manager, Brand & Acquisition: Andrew Haughey

Publicis Worldwide Australia
Managing Director: Simone Waugh
Executive Creative Director: Ryan Petie
Associate Creative Director: Christian McKechnie
Senior Art Director: Elle Whittaker
Executive Production Director: Vicki Lee
Senior Producer: Chris Moore
General Manager: Jude Johannesen
Senior Account Director: Mary Graham
Senior Account Manager: Lucy Rodgers
Strategy Director: Swati Shivshankar

Finch
Director/Stills Photographer: Michael Hili
Producer: AnnaTara Clark-Snedden
Managing Director/Executive Producer: Corey Essie

Heckler
Editor: Andrew Holmes
Colour Grade: Matt Fezz
Producer: Coralie Tapper

White Chocolate
Executive Producer/Owner: Chris Grocott
VFX Supervisor/Owner: David Mosqueda

Electric Sheep Music
Creative Director: Glenn Sarangapany
Executive Producer: Kate Stenhouse
Sound Designer: Georgia Collins
Composition: Electric Sheep Music

Stills retouching:
Suriya Black

Media Partner: PHD
Group Business Director: Ali Jones
Business Director: Emily Friedlos
Senior Planning Manager: Patrese Beasley