In the latest spot for The New York Times, the media outlet shines a light on the danger of misinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic. The 30-second spot, entitled “The Truth is Essential,” uses the minimalist typed visuals that viewers have come to associate with the company’s “The Truth Is Worth It” campaign, which began in 2017 and has since won a Cannes Lion. 

The tie to the COVID-19 crisis is subtle, with “COVID-19” noticeably absent from any of the video’s messaging. The closest the video comes to directly referencing the pandemic is when it names “the virus” midway through the video; the rest of the context is implied. 

In some ways, this lack of any explicit mention of COVID-19 actually highlights the unifying experience occurring across the globe. Mention or no mention, it’s clear what the news outlet is referring to. There is very little room for misunderstanding the context set with the first sentence—“it’s not just a bad flu”—no matter where in the world the viewer is located. 

The rest of the video builds slowly, and the music gets louder as more and more misconceptions about the virus are refuted on screen. Then, two final statements emphasize the connection to both COVID-19 and the larger truth campaign: “We are safer when we are informed. The truth is essential.” 

Check it out below. 

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