The post-it type ad stuck over the masthead of The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper today is the worst damage I have seen done to a newspaper masthead in time I have been chronicling this activity here.
This desecration of their brand demonstrates how little value Fairfax places in what was once a great newspaper brand. Maybe they don’t think Sydney is all that important.
At some point in the future there will be a question of when media companies changed their view of the value of newspaper mastheads. I hope that the photos I have posted here of the use by Fairfax of this cover-up advertising will be of some assistance.
FYI: You are referring to the Flag not the Masthead. A masthead is the box (usually found on pg. A2) that lists the paper’s management (Publisher, Editor, etc ..). We have started running these annoying ads as well and (obviously) we hate it … but it’s better to have a job at a paper that is successfully making money than to get layed-off because of some antiquated principal. Love!