T Brand Studio offers lessons in storytelling

The New York Times is renowned for its incisive reporting and ability to join the dots across news, entertainment, and culture. This ethos also runs through the work its content studio T Brand provides for its advertisers

When embarking on a new project with a ­client, T Brand Studio always asks them to adhere to its ‘storytelling commitment’, a pledge that aims to acknowledge that ­“storytelling is one of the most effective ways to build ­empathy”.

“Our foremost responsibility is to thoughtfully and respectfully reflect the world through a deep understanding of audience ­insights, and deliver compelling and representative stories,” the pledge continues. “We know crafting the best branded stories in the world requires grasping the importance of diversity and inclusion as inextricably tied elements of our storytelling.”

This approach has led to a wide range of content created to appear alongside the New York Times’ mix of news, lifestyle, sport, cooking, shopping, games and more, which includes everything from ‘traditional’ print and digital ads, to podcasts, short film series, and paid-for content.

Top: Still from a video by T Brand Studio to promote Jose Cuervo’s Reserva de la Familia Tequila; Above: Illustration by Simone Noronha to help promote Breakthrough, a podcast created with Boston Children’s Hospital