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Category
Editorial / Magazines & Newspapers
Annual ID
OS25_DE029B
Background
Evan Gershkovich, an American journalist for The Wall Street Journal, was detained in Russia on March 29, 2023, while working on an assignment. His detention, which happened despite possessing full press credentials from Russia's foreign ministry, shocked the world.
Evan was accused of espionage, the first American journalist to face such an allegation since the Cold War. However, his only "crime" was clear: accurate and reliable journalism that sheds light on one of the world’s most isolated countries at a time when understanding what’s happening on the ground is critical.
Evan, his family, The Journal, and the U.S. government vehemently denied the espionage accusation. Yet, Russia refused to set him free, extending his detention through baseless proceedings that portrayed him as something other than what he is – a journalist.
As the one-year mark of his arrest approached, the brief was to leverage The Journal’s owned channels to call attention to Evan’s unjust detainment, make sure his absence wouldn’t be forgotten, and demonstrate the severity this poses to journalism worldwide.
Evan was accused of espionage, the first American journalist to face such an allegation since the Cold War. However, his only "crime" was clear: accurate and reliable journalism that sheds light on one of the world’s most isolated countries at a time when understanding what’s happening on the ground is critical.
Evan, his family, The Journal, and the U.S. government vehemently denied the espionage accusation. Yet, Russia refused to set him free, extending his detention through baseless proceedings that portrayed him as something other than what he is – a journalist.
As the one-year mark of his arrest approached, the brief was to leverage The Journal’s owned channels to call attention to Evan’s unjust detainment, make sure his absence wouldn’t be forgotten, and demonstrate the severity this poses to journalism worldwide.
Creative Idea
When Evan was unjustly detained, we lost a son, friend, and colleague; the public lost his influential reporting.
So, on March 29, 2024, the one-year mark of his detainment, we created “Missing Articles,” a visual representation of Evan’s missing journalism, placed where his words should have been: The Wall Street Journal's editorial space.
Using blank spaces that adhered to The Journal’s guidelines and were surrounded by real news, we highlighted the stories Evan should have written but were now missing, leaving a void of information among the daily news organically placed throughout the edition.
For the first time in its 134-year history, one of the world’s most important information sources went blank.
So, on March 29, 2024, the one-year mark of his detainment, we created “Missing Articles,” a visual representation of Evan’s missing journalism, placed where his words should have been: The Wall Street Journal's editorial space.
Using blank spaces that adhered to The Journal’s guidelines and were surrounded by real news, we highlighted the stories Evan should have written but were now missing, leaving a void of information among the daily news organically placed throughout the edition.
For the first time in its 134-year history, one of the world’s most important information sources went blank.
Insights & Strategy
Our strategy was clear: make sure Evan’s absence wouldn’t be forgotten by revealing and illustrating to the world how his unjust detainment left a void of vital information for us all and affected global press freedom.
Gershkovich's reporting on Russia provided crucial understanding during pivotal moments in geopolitics. His detainment came at a time when journalists around the world were facing ever-increasing threats to their abilities to report fairly and accurately, qualities particularly crucial in Russia, where the Kremlin has imposed laws intended to restrict reporters from speaking the truth.
Gershkovich's reporting on Russia provided crucial understanding during pivotal moments in geopolitics. His detainment came at a time when journalists around the world were facing ever-increasing threats to their abilities to report fairly and accurately, qualities particularly crucial in Russia, where the Kremlin has imposed laws intended to restrict reporters from speaking the truth.
Execution
"Missing Articles" wasn't an ad placement. It was a carefully orchestrated operation with The Wall Street Journal’s newsroom to draw attention to Evan’s one-year mark of detainment and show the impact of his absence on us all and global press freedom.
The most impactful way we found to represent his absence was through his missing words (articles). We dedicated our platform to visually depicting the void this creates for us all.
The execution was to print Evan’s “Missing Articles”: blank spaces with no body copy, no image, and just a headline following The Journal’s original guidelines. A void of information in The Journal’s physical copy, with the missing stories Evan Gershkovich should have written
naturally placed on the front page and within the edition, surrounded by real news and impossible to ignore.
For the first time in its 134-year history, one of the world’s most important information sources went blank.
The most impactful way we found to represent his absence was through his missing words (articles). We dedicated our platform to visually depicting the void this creates for us all.
The execution was to print Evan’s “Missing Articles”: blank spaces with no body copy, no image, and just a headline following The Journal’s original guidelines. A void of information in The Journal’s physical copy, with the missing stories Evan Gershkovich should have written
naturally placed on the front page and within the edition, surrounded by real news and impossible to ignore.
For the first time in its 134-year history, one of the world’s most important information sources went blank.
Results
On March 29, 2024, the biggest story in the world was no story at all. “Missing Articles” became a topic of conversation across social media, publications, and news broadcasts worldwide.
Several politicians, including the United States Secretary of State and bipartisan Congressional Leaders, stood together and gave testimonies that condemned the unjust detainment and demanded that Putin release Evan immediately.
United States President Joe Biden published an official statement about Evan’s case.
Evan’s year in detention was covered in more than 100 publications around the world, had +1400 mentions on TV worldwide, increased the number of visitors to Evan’s dedicated WSJ section by 627%, inspired 3500 articles written about the issue in one day, and earned 1.3 billion media impressions worldwide. In an unrelenting news cycle, calls for his release were louder than ever, and public pressure was enormous on the U.S. Government.
On August 1st, 2024, the United States Government reached terms with Russia and brought Evan back home.
His story is no longer missing.
Several politicians, including the United States Secretary of State and bipartisan Congressional Leaders, stood together and gave testimonies that condemned the unjust detainment and demanded that Putin release Evan immediately.
United States President Joe Biden published an official statement about Evan’s case.
Evan’s year in detention was covered in more than 100 publications around the world, had +1400 mentions on TV worldwide, increased the number of visitors to Evan’s dedicated WSJ section by 627%, inspired 3500 articles written about the issue in one day, and earned 1.3 billion media impressions worldwide. In an unrelenting news cycle, calls for his release were louder than ever, and public pressure was enormous on the U.S. Government.
On August 1st, 2024, the United States Government reached terms with Russia and brought Evan back home.
His story is no longer missing.
2025 Awards
Total Points: 9
Bronze Pencil
Credits
Agency
Mother / New York
Mother / London
Client / Brand
The Wall Street Journal
Agency In-House Production Company
eg+
Chief Creative Officer
Oriel Davis-Lyons
Chief Marketing Officer
Sherry Weiss
Design Director
Mike Mercer-Brown
Executive Creative Director
Gustavo Dorietto
Tom Bender
Strategist
Savannah Rabin
Account Director
Caroline Scott
Chief Executive Officer
Almar Latour
Chief Print Editor
Alex Martín
Creative
Julia Oliphant
Lucas Silva
Matt Bladin
Paulo Damasceno
Deputy Chief Art Director
Kayla Reynolds
Editor-in-chief
Emma Tucker
Mother
Charlotte Peter
Senior Director, Brand Marketing
Katie Fabry
Senior Manager, Content Marketing
Kara Shields
SVP, Brand Marketing
Alex Dousie
VP, Brand Creative Director
Elizabeth Azen Andia
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