It Starts With You
New York Times Campaign
During times of celebration, mutuality becomes more important; you can’t have a party with only one person. When honoring these moments, we need people from each segment and their allies to get involved. This concept uses powerful words that will adapt to showcase the spirit of each holiday. To make our audience stop and stare, each word contains a missing letter. The call to action: While a message or movement can be sparked by one person, it can only continue through the power of mutuality.
In 2024, MassMutual set out to honor four cultural moments at a brand level — Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Pride, and Veterans Day. Our challenge was to acknowledge the contributions of four distinct communities within one campaign, all while staying true to the brand’s Live Mutual philosophy. How did we balance each moment’s importance with our ethos of interdependence? We put forth a strong, yet simple message: “The celebration starts with you. And it continues with us.”
In other words, positive change can be sparked by one person, but it becomes fully realized when other people come together. The campaign’s striking visual device — powerful words with a missing letter “U” — reinforced that idea, inviting individuals to join in on the celebration. Some words highlighted specific aspects of each group, such as “colorful” for Pride Month as a nod to intersectionality, or “salute” for Veterans Day. Others, like “community,” “equality,” and “unity,” reinforced the idea that we are all part of something greater.
Appearing in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and online, the campaign extended across social media, search, and banner ads, where the missing letters were dynamically added through animation. A homepage takeover on MassMutual.com deepened engagement, directing visitors to content based on each moment, such as articles related to women’s empowerment during Women’s History Month.
I lead the art direction and graphic design for this campaign and am pleased with the response to the work. Not only is this work thought provoking and alluring, it also won the FCS Gold and GD USA Gold awards in 2024.
Throughout the year, MassMutual didn’t just acknowledge these cultural moments. They encouraged everyone to be a part of them — starting with you.
Project Credits:
Created for the MassMutual
Published 2024, New York Times (WHM, BHM, Veterans) and Washington Post (Pride Month)
Art Direction and Graphic Design: Mark Coletti;
Creative Direction: Will Uronis
Copywriting: Brian Anderson