7 ads that define ‘The New York Times’

This week, The New York Times is celebrating the 175 anniversary of its founding on September 18, 1851. To commemorate the major milestone, the publication is paying tribute to one of the institutions that’s kept its journalism running for almost two centuries: advertisers. The campaign’s centerpiece is a nine-page print spread featuring seven real ads from The New York Times’s massive archives, dating all the way back to its inaugural year. It also includes a landing page on the NYT’s Advertising homepage with a timeline of the key moments, digital ads across the publication’s various verticals, and audio spots on its podcasts. [Image: The New York Times]It arrives at a challenging time for publishers, who, in the era of zero-click search and declining print ads, are reevaluating their business models. In its earnings report for the second quarter of 2026, the NYT stated that its print advertising revenues decreased 11.1% while its digital advertising revenues rose 20.7% compared to the second quarter of 2025.For the NYT, the campaign serves as a key moment to publicly recognize the contributions of its advertisers. But it also reflects an interesting pattern: each asset featured…