The Washington Post had intended to launch a new marketing campaign centered around the U.S. Constitution last year, but ran into a significant issue — the tagline they wanted to use was already taken.
The newspaper’s plan was to promote its connection to America with the slogan “We the People.” However, just before the ad was about to be published, MS NOW (formerly MSNBC) rolled out the same tagline.
On November 15, MSNBC rebranded as “My Source News Opinion World” (MS NOW) after Comcast reorganized its cable assets into a new company named Versant. This new entity embarked on a major advertising push that prominently featured “We the People.”
The high-budget campaign from MS NOW has reportedly compelled The Post to pause its own advertising endeavors. Yet, The Washington Post did not comment on this situation.
Interestingly, this occurrence followed the announcement of CEO Will Lewis’s resignation amid criticism over the handling of extensive layoffs at the paper. A day after the marketing setback, Editor-in-Chief Matt Murray was left to face the fallout from the layoffs, which impacted about a third of the workforce.
Lewis stated in a memo that it was the right moment for him to step down after two years of transformation, asserting that difficult decisions were necessary for the Post’s sustainability and its mission to deliver unbiased news to millions.
The tagline incident, though a minor hiccup in Lewis’s contentious tenure, reportedly underscored the paper’s struggle with creative thinking.
Some observers noted that the failure to originate such a common phrase revealed a lack of innovation. Murray, in previous comments, defended the handling of layoffs, acknowledging Lewis’s involvement in various company decisions.
