Cover design and sketches by Evangelija Ivanoska. Imagery and screenshots from "100 Years of The New Yorker," The New Yorker, 2025.
Project 1 | Magnifying Glass: The Branding Underneath Successful Marketing
How often do you witness memorable anniversary branding?
(Hint: once in a century)
29 July 2026 · 3 min read
Evangelija Ivanoska, Brand Strategist & Designer
I observed The New Yorker's anniversary campaign for a year and analysed the brand strategy behind its success. It is their unshakable brand foundation that allowed them to produce such an iconic campaign.
Anniversary branding should go beyond just celebrating the past and become an opportunity to inspire deeper loyalty for your brand going forward. You'll notice a recurring pattern in their strategy: they tie the past to the future. This dedicated approach turns a centennial from “We’ve been successful for 100 years.” to “We’re bringing the fruit of our 100-year legacy into the future.”​
GIF: "100 Years of The New Yorker," The New Yorker, 2025
Screenshot: "100 Years of The New Yorker," The New Yorker, 2025
First, they digitised their entire archive: nearly 700 covers, every article, and every issue in history. With this, they created a legacy that will endure well into the future and will continue to celebrate their credibility beyond this anniversary.
This enormous archive may make you wonder if anyone would dare to dive into it and be decisive enough to select a piece to read. The New Yorker prepared for this too. They curated collections with influential stories that were categorised by whatever you might enjoy: humour, true crime, fiction, kitchen, urban life…
GIF: "100 Years of The New Yorker," The New Yorker, 2025
Screenshot: "100 Years of The New Yorker," The New Yorker, 2025
With the primary visual of their anniversary, they also built an artistic legacy, inspiring creatives to learn about the history of the magazine’s covers and to discover peers whose work they like. The primary visual was a nod to the magazine's first-ever cover, the mascot "Eustace Tilley" drawn in 1925 by Rea Irvin, now reimagined by various contemporary artists while staying true to history.
The magazine is known for groundbreaking illustrated covers rather than relying on photography: a heritage brand stays classic yet modern by evolving its visual identity but keeping what makes it recognisable.
Image: The New Yorker, official store, 2025
Screenshot: "100 Years of The New Yorker," The New Yorker, 2025
Along with what I’ve shared, they also produced master classes for writers and editors, historical facts, new takes on previous work, and collections of their iconic illustrations and laugh lines. A lot to cherish and explore.
The New Yorker turned its anniversary from a celebration into an opportunity to produce lasting and tangible materials that will serve future generations.
A brand that has lasted 100 years teaches us that dedication to creating something for your audience has a powerful impact. As someone who works with brands that instil passion in everything they do, I’ll tell you that you don’t need a 100th anniversary as an excuse to go the extra mile and match the dedication of this iconic magazine within your business.​