Los Angeles Times: The state of what's next

California is admittedly a progressive state, with one of the largest and most diverse populations in the US. It’s also the state that is looked to most when problems need to be solved, according to a new campaign by The Los Angeles Times.

News media and journalism have been at the center of a national and international debate for several years, compelling news organizations to express the value of trustworthy, fact-based reporting and journalistic integrity to consumers, much like The New York Times has been doing with its Cannes Lions-winning campaign.

The Los Angeles Times has begun rolling out its first brand campaign since coming under private, local ownership more than a year ago. The first phase is a series of videos with the tagline ‘The state of what’s next.’ The campaign speaks to the issue of trusted journalism and the value of a free press, not only for greater Los Angeles, but also for the state of California and beyond.

While much of US news media is concentrated on the East Coast, there’s a whole other world – more than 2,500 miles away – in California. The paper wants to assert itself as the center of the news universe. In a 57-second spot images of the Golden State including red carpets, Dodger games and mayor Gavin Newsom are shown as a voice over states, “The world looks to California.”

The images then change to tougher stories, like homelessness, high rents, then to the state’s vibrant food scene and to the devastating fires and big headlines as the voice continues to call out why California is a leader and can answer the hard questions and to “introduce the unfamiliar…to be resilient, because California bounces back, holds us accountable, values who we are, remains vigilant, defies those in our way and stands for community”.