The New York Times Puts Eli Mannings’ Family Rivalry to the Test

Eli Manning just found his toughest opponent yet: his own family.

The New York Times’ new "Family Subscription" campaign gives the retired Super Bowl champ a different kind of challenge, and that's picking who makes it onto his plan.

The new offering lets up to four members enjoy personalized access to The Times’ full suite of content, from news to games to The Athletic.

Zulu Alpha Kilo New York, led by Chief Creative Officer and Partner Tim Gordon, crafted the campaign as a follow-up to the award-winning “Truth” platform.

This time, the agency steered away from hard news and leaned into light family comedy, showing The Times as part of daily life instead of just a formal institution.

Family Feud, Times Style

In the campaign, Manning faces relentless lobbying from his parents, Archie and Olivia, and his brother Cooper.

Each of them, fighting for a coveted slot.

“If I’m going to share my New York Times subscription, I just want to know it’s with someone who will truly enjoy it,” said Eli Manning.

“I take this pretty seriously, and I want to make sure my family plan members do too.”

Cooper, ever the comic relief, fires back.

“I can’t prove it, but I’m pretty sure Eli had been mooching off my New York Times login for years,” he joked.

The result is a campaign that’s both self-aware and self-deprecating, proving that even in retirement, Eli’s competitive streak lives on.

The spots will unfold across The Times’ and The Athletic’s social channels, showing the Mannings in peak family form.

This includes Olivia offering crossword tips and Cooper cooking Eli’s favorite Thanksgiving dish from The Times Cooking section.

Archie will even test playoff scenarios on The Athletic’s Football Playoff Simulator.

It all feels naturally chaotic, perfectly capturing what makes both The Times and the Mannings relatable.

“The Family Subscription allows us to bond over our common interests and discuss, for once, something beyond football,” said Olivia Manning.

Ultimately, the latest initiative from the Times is a show of how celebrity marketing can humanize even the most established institutions.

Amy Weisenbach, The Times’ CMO, said the initiative “reminds us that family connection extends beyond being in the same room — it’s about taking time to share and connect.”

The Times recently made similar moves to appear more approachable.

Efforts include campaigns with the New York Liberty mascot Ellie the Elephant, who used her own family subscription to dive into puzzles, recipes, and pop culture.

What We Can Learn From The Times’ Campaign

The New York Times’ collaboration with the Mannings shows us how to turn household names into household moments.

Here, we learn:

• Using family-themed stories adds emotional depth to a product that might otherwise feel bland.
• Celebrity endorsements are most effective when they feel unscripted and reflect genuine chemistry.
• Humor and self-awareness can help legacy media brands reintroduce themselves to younger, digital-first audiences.

The challenge for The Times will be keeping this light, family-friendly tone while preserving the journalistic authority it’s built over decades.

Our Take: Does Comedy Keep Legacy Brands Young?

Watching Eli juggle crossword clues and family politics feels oddly relatable.

I like it when a brand this big doesn’t take itself too seriously.

It reminds us that marketing should connect with audiences just as much as it converts.

When brands like The Times can laugh with their audience instead of talking at them, that’s when brand loyalty takes root.

In other news, Xfinity recently teamed up with actor Jeff Goldblum to create a campaign around the upcoming "Wicked: For Good" film.