The 2009 Jay Chiat Awards for Strategic Excellence Winners

Campaign for an Existing Brand—Gold:
Euro RSCG, New York
"Is the Atlantic Doomed?"

The Atlantic magazine was an old and stodgy institution. Its circulation was stagnant. Its Web site was invisible. It was struggling to attract contemporary advertisers, and like so many other magazines, it was hemorrhaging money.

But rather than trying to convince people that The Atlantic wasn't as dull as they feared, we set our ambitions much higher: to become the source of mental stimulation so many craved; to lead a grassroots movement to bring deep, nuanced-thinking back in vogue; to incite people to Think. Again.

It's an idea that took the form of neon signs and heated debates, of lively blogs and signs stuck in muffins at bakeries. Ultimately, it's an idea has generated a 13% increase in circulation and a 93% increase in digital revenue. It's an idea that has attracted 51 new advertisers, online and off; but perhaps more importantly, it ignited a conversation that has thousands of people thinking again.

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Next: "Refreshing an Icon"