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Future of TV Advertising New York Times

FX buys New York Times ads around Jeff Sessions Russia gaffe to promote USSR spy thriller The Americans

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By John McCarthy, Opinion Editor

March 6, 2017 | 3 min read

In the age of the digital marketplace, reactive brands can win the day juxtaposing their ads in news publications above relevant content.

The Americans in the New York Times

The Americans in the New York Times

In this instance, FX has used the current furore around attorney general Jeff Sessions’s secretive meeting with the Russian ambassador to promote 'The Americans', a 1980s Cold War thriller portraying the trials and tribulations of two Russian sleeper agents in the US.

FX looked to tap into the discourse around President Donald Trump’s connections to Russia by generating buzz around its show, which is more relevant now than ever before, as relations with Putin’s Russia continue to sour.

Furthermore, another ad translated the entire New York Times into Russian - echoing the show's theme of Soviet infiltration.

With the new season set to get underway, 7 March on FX, the media buy provided a timely series of media coverage and engagement on social media.

Future of TV Advertising New York Times

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