5 Creative Ways to Bring Digital Experiences to Life with Newspapers

As digital media evolves, print is an unexpected way to bring online content to life and form more meaningful connections with audiences. Here are 5 creative ways our customers are using newspapers to enhance their digital projects – whether it's celebrating a big newsletter milestone or launching an exciting new podcast season.

The email newsletter

coolstuff.nyc, a popular newsletter about arts and culture in New York City, hit a big milestone with its 200th edition. To mark the occasion, the team created a physical version of the newsletter for the first time using our digital tabloids.

They distributed copies in person at a party celebrating the achievement - and the big '200 newsletters' headline on the front page made for great photo opportunities.

''Just as you remember a physical invitation more than a text message, we felt this paper was a great way to make our digital newsletter a true presence at our party.''

Designers Anna and Garrett Albury enjoyed "breaking the bounds of web design" when bringing the print to life. "Designing for the screen can be limiting," they said. "For this newspaper, we thought 'what are some wild things we've always wanted to do, but haven't been able to?'"

Similarly, to mark three years of The Publish Press, a newsletter that covers the "creator economy" and new media, the team released a 28-page traditional tabloid (above) packed with original stories and artwork.

“We think a newspaper offers an amazing contrast with our newsletter," says Nate Graber-Lipperman, who writes the newsletter alongside creator duo Colin and Samir. "It's fun distributing it at creator events, where we bring our custom yellow Publish Press mailbox and see attendees sitting around reading a newspaper, of all things!”

The online platform

As an online platform, Semaine uses their newspaper to connect with their community in fun and engaging ways. They host launch parties and distribute print issues through physical venues (like Shreeji News in London), creating opportunities for people to interact with the brand in person. This approach brings their digital presence to life, and strengthens the sense of community around the brand.

"A newspaper feels like a companion as soon as you hold it. You feel welcome to roll it up, put it under your arm, read it in bed."

The podcast

Swindled is a true-crime podcast focusing on white-collar criminals and con artists. Since 2021, they've promoted each upcoming season with an annual newspaper printed on our traditional tabloids.

Designed by the in-house team with help from friends and artists, it's distributed for free to paid Patreon subscribers and features puzzles, graphics and a keepsake poster. It adds value to the digital subscription and creates a real-world connection with their supporters. The team admit being "suckers for traditional and analog media," and choose print as many of their listeners "appreciate a physical souvenir in a digital world."

"The feedback has been incredibly positive. Our listeners agree that a custom newspaper is a fun, unique way of communicating."

The remote team brainstorm

Mailchimp made their digital creative process more tangible by turning their monthly "Brand Jam" brainstorming session into a printed keepsake. Using our digital tabloids, they showcase typographic experiments featuring their custom font, Means. This internal newspaper acts as a useful tool for the remote team, capturing their discussions and providing an opportunity for further collaboration and hands-on creativity.

"We wanted to elevate the work whilst still feeling like it’s an ongoing exploration."

The social media community

Social media personality Erin Azar, AKA Mrs. Space Cadet, is using Thatsagooda to engage with her huge online audience on a more intimate level."I'm excited to connect with you in an analog way in a digital world," she told her 450k Instagram followers in a video about the publication, which received over 3,500 likes.

“We wanted to create a tactile space that offers a refreshing mental break from the busyness of everyday life,” says Jessie Knuth, who designed the digital mini. “The newspaper format just felt right – personal, gritty and cool, without being too precious or fussy.”

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