How we helped CNN turn the 2016 US election campaign coverage on its head

5 November 2024

As the U.S. election draws near, we’re revisiting a unique direct mail project we crafted for CNN International in the lead up to the 2016 Presidential Election. CNN International is the No.1 international TV news channel across EMEA, Asia Pacific and Latin America, reaching 260 million+ households globally.

To spotlight CNN’s distinctive ‘360° coverage’ of the 2016 election, its Content Sales team asked us to create an innovative direct mail piece for clients and prospects: the ‘CNN: 360° Coverage’ Election Journal. This custom journal cleverly embodied CNN’s commitment to covering every angle of the campaign. Users could open it from one side for info on the Democrats, or flip it over for information on the Republicans: campaign dates, candidate profiles and party facts. At the middle point in the journal, the 2 halves met: a smart design reflecting CNN’s ‘360° coverage’ ethos.

Beyond merely informative, the Election Journal was built to be relevant, memorable, and something that would stay “front and centre” on clients’ desks, keeping CNN visible and useful well beyond its first look. It offered a place to document CNN’s live coverage, track powerful quotes, and capture notes from heated debates and key campaign moments. Demand quickly grew, and what began as a limited print run of 100 copies was expanded to 1,200 due to its popularity.

Looking back, the 2016 election was just the beginning of an era of heightened political intensity – one that this journal helped to capture.