Event Activation & Design
Trusted Brands
Trusted Media Brands
Created immersive Reader's Digest Trusted Brands events with unique themes, honoring winners and enhancing the program's impact and credibility.
About
In 2015, Reader’s Digest launched its first U.S. Trusted Brands survey, highlighting consumer-preferred brands in categories ranging from cereal to airlines. The survey, based on responses from a 4,500-person sample weighted against U.S. Census data, revealed that 79% of participants prioritize trusted brands when choosing between items of equal quality and price. This initiative aimed to celebrate these brands and strengthen Reader's Digest’s reputation for trust and credibility.
Categories
Partner Activations
Experiential Design
Design Operations
Brand Awareness
Role
Developed creative concepts and themes for each year’s event.
Designed and maintained the Trusted Brands Ceros microsite to promote winners.
Coordinated with vendors and printers for timely delivery of branded materials, including awards, decor, and environmental collateral.
Sourced and executed cobranded swag and collateral for attendees and staff.
Oversaw logistics to ensure all materials and event components met high-quality standards and deadlines.
Approach
The team was tasked with creating annual exclusive, themed events to honor winning brands and their representatives annually. Each event included immersive experiences and unique physical awards:
2015: Hosted at the Whitney Museum of American Art, the event featured custom watercolor illustrations of the winning brands displayed as a gallery, private museum tours, and gift-wrapped awards for attendees.
2016: Held at the historic Beekman Hotel, the event incorporated NYC-themed experiences, haiku poets, custom foil-stamped books for each brand, and an interactive digital kiosk showcasing the winners (See the Ceros link for interactive experience).
2017: Set at the PUBLIC Hotel NYC, the superhero-themed event celebrated each winning brand with custom illustrations encased in floating acrylic blocks, glowing displays, and sweeping, panoramic views of the city complemented by branded games like custom cornhole on the balcony.
Results
The Trusted Brands program became a hallmark of Reader’s Digest, reinforcing its credibility as an iconic media brand and unlocking significant advertising and partnership opportunities. It attracted major partners like Toyota and Ford, driving key revenue streams while solidifying the program’s status as a trusted authority in consumer branding.
