The 100th Edition (case study) - Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung | Clapboard Ad Archive

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung’s 2024 campaign The 100th Edition marks a significant milestone in its long-running Brilliant Minds photo series, a campaign that has consistently positioned the brand as a beacon of intellectual rigor and societal leadership within the media and public interest sector. Unveiled on Holocaust Remembrance Day, January 27, the campaign features a striking portrait of Margot Friedländer, a 102-year-old Holocaust survivor, seated among the somber concrete steles of the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, holding a copy of the F.A.Z. newspaper. This evocative image, captured by the renowned Berlin-based agency Scholz & Friends in collaboration with VML, leverages the profound historical and cultural context to underscore the newspaper’s role as a platform for vigilance, historical awareness, and resistance against intolerance. For over 25 years, the Brilliant Minds series has celebrated influential figures deeply engaged with the newspaper against settings that symbolize their societal contributions across political, economic, social, and cultural domains. By featuring Friedländer, the campaign not only honors her extraordinary dedication to Holocaust remembrance and education but also reinforces F.A.Z.’s commitment to fostering informed, proactive citizenship in the face of both historical and contemporary challenges. The choice of Margot Friedländer as the central figure aligns with the campaign’s FORMAT#10—Associated User Imagery approach, presenting aspirational reader profiles that embody the brand’s values of intellect, vigilance, and social engagement, thereby strengthening emotional resonance with a socially conscious, culturally aware audience. Strategically timed and executed across print, out-of-home, and content media, the campaign affirms F.A.Z. as a thoughtful curator of ideas and a champion of enduring intellectual discourse, cultivating trust and relevance among decision-makers and readers who value critical thought and historical consciousness. The campaign’s impact is validated by multiple prestigious awards including the Industry Craft Grand Prix at Eurobest and Cannes Lions 2024, alongside Silver and Bronze accolades in Design, Industry Craft, and Print & Publishing, affirming the creative excellence delivered by Scholz & Friends and VML. Clapboard rates this campaign 79/100. This campaign matters to the industry because it demonstrates how a legacy media brand can sustain cultural relevance and leadership by integrating profound historical narratives with aspirational user imagery, thereby elevating journalism beyond information delivery to a call for active societal engagement.