8 Newspapers to inspire you in February

Every month, we put together a roundup to show all the creative ways our customers use newspapers. In this edition: a guide to sustainable packaging, broadsheets turned into wallpaper and a look behind the scenes of a cyclocross championship. Plus more! Keep reading for 8 newspapers to inspire you in February.

Publishing cycle

“A newspaper is such a fun and affordable way to share visual artwork," says Kenza Barton Schlee. The photographer and artist used our digital tabloids to offer a look behind the scenes of the 2022 American cyclocross season, following STF Racing team and other athletes sponsored by bike components manufacturer SRAM. Copies were distributed for free at the Cyclocross National Championships at the end of last year.

“As an artist, it can sometimes be underwhelming to see your work only shared digitally through social media,” says Kenza. "It’s truly rewarding to see people engaging with your work at a slower pace. Some readers even pinned up pages from the newspaper!”

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Action plan

In 2025, Rotherham in South Yorkshire will become the world's first Children's Capital of Culture. Design studio Eleven was tasked with communicating all the preparation during the first year of planning for the event and they’re using traditional minis – printed on new 80gsm bright paper! – to do so.

“We wanted the first publication about Children's Capital of Culture to feel fun and accessible, and not standard,” says designer Claire Thornley. “Newspaper Club was a perfect fit. The process was super easy and the client was really happy with the outcome.”

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Stand-out shave

If your brand has invested in top-quality product photography, why not make the most of it? For a recent pop-up event, shaving brand Flamingo showcased fresh campaign imagery in a super-sized digital broadsheet. “The goal was to make something fun, high-impact and beautiful to leave on display,” says Victoria Lam, Head of Creative Operations.

"We liked the idea of a large-scale printed piece that would act as a 'billboard'  while being read out in the world,” adds Victoria. “Newsprint is super tactile and something you want to pick up and flip through, or roll up and throw in your bag to look at later. We've heard great feedback and seen nice engagement with the piece!” Designed by Emma Reed.

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Record reflections

In 2021, Aly Gillani – AKA DJ Gilla – listened to a different record every day and posted his thoughts about it on Instagram. The Long Player, printed on our digital minis, consists of edited highlights from these posts, telling the story of the records and of his life emerging from various lockdowns. (The first run of 150 copies sold out, but luckily Aly’s just done a reprint! All profits are split between The Trussell Trust and Shelter charities.)

“Newspaper Club was an affordable, quick and fun way to try out printing some of my work – something I'd never tried before,” says Aly. “It was amazing how quickly I got the newspapers back. I work in music and pressing records takes months. This was refreshingly fast!” Designed by Matt Bailey.

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Shoes shine

Vegan sneaker brand SAYE turned our digital broadsheets into wallpaper – that doubled as a cool photo backdrop – for their first pop-up shop in Barcelona. (Watch them transform the space on Instagram!)

They also repurposed the newspapers as gift wrap for their shoeboxes (the pop-up happened just before Christmas). And visitors could use the newspapers the old-fashioned way, too – to read more about SAYE's materials and manufacturing process. “All of our customers loved them!” says SAYE. Designed by Socis Club.

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Planet-friendly packaging

To help their clients source sustainable packaging, design studio Guacamole Airplane put together this handy supplier guide for everything from compostable polybags to recycled cardboard. Originally conceived as an online resource, they recently printed a run on our (100% recyclable!) digital minis to send as a holiday gift for friends of the studio.

“We're excited about the potential of the guide living on designers' desks along with Pantone books and McMaster Carr catalogs,” says the studio’s founder Ian Montgomery. Designed by Josephine Tov with art direction by Ian Montgomery and Katelan Cunningham.

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Bright ideas

The Color Cord Company offers cloth-covered electrical wire in over 100 different shades. Founded in 2013 with design and DIY in mind, they make lighting accessible for enthusiastic homeowners, interior designers, architects and more. The Color Cord Chronicle, printed on our digital broadsheets, is a playful – and fittingly colourful – introduction to the brand.

“We chose a newspaper to set ourselves apart from the competition and to bring a little fun into lighting design,” says designer Victor Machado. “Being a web-based company, it was a fun departure to design something physical. The response has been very positive – people are loving it!”

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Behind the zines

Change is the subject of this digital mini, which explores moments of transformation in the lives of 8 young artists (aged 16 - 19) who took part in Modern Art Oxford's Young Creatives programme. The limited-edition zine accompanied the exhibition 'Change, What is that Anyway?' at the end of last year.

"The zine and launch event went brilliantly," says Sophie Blagden of Modern Art Oxford. "The group was really buzzing and so excited to share the zine with their friends, family and teachers!"

The Modern Art Oxford Young Creatives are: Alex Panejko, Alina Hu, Armin Csizmadia, Arina Colun, Benjamin Henning, Isabel Elsner, Lina-Maria Marrow, Lonnie Saragih, Mia Annesen-Wood and Ly Veerakul.

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