MSNBC builds on brand identity with new ad campaign

MSNBC president Phil Griffin recently told New York magazine that cable ratings leader Fox News "figured it out that you have to stand for something in cable," and that his own network — now offering a liberal alternative in prime time — is "targeting an audience."

He wasn't kidding. On Tuesday, MSNBC rolled out a new two-year advertising campaign that continues building upon its ever-sharpening brand identity. The tag line: "Lean Forward."

The slogan is intended to "captur[e] the network's mission to become a thought-leader brand dedicated to advancing the issues that move America ahead," a release stated.

"In its simplest form, it's a tag line. You will see it on-air, in promotions and in advertisements," Griffin said in a statement. "In the broader sense, however, 'Lean Forward' captures the spirit of everything we do and everything we believe. It's about celebrating the best ideas, no matter where they come from; that tomorrow can, in fact, be better than today. 'Lean Forward' is our message."

Sharon Otteman, the network's chief marketing officer, said that "MSNBC wants to be the champion for those who believe in progress."

The executives didn't specifically mention political ideology. But the implication is that MSNBC stands out as the more "progressive" network that's not looking backward.

MSNBC, which launched as a joint-venture between NBC News and Microsoft, began growing into a liberal counterweight to Fox only in the past couple of years.

Keith Olbermann led the charge at 8 p.m. each night by railing against the Bush administration; former Air America host Rachel Maddow, once his substitute host, then got a 9 p.m. show in the fall of 2008. Liberal radio host Ed Schultz joined the network in 2009 at 6 p.m., sandwiched between episodes of Chris Matthews' show, "Hardball." And just last month, longtime MSNBC contributor and former Democratic aide Lawrence O'Donnell, who also subbed for Olbermann, launched a 10 p.m. show. (Liberal voices aside, the network's three-hour news and chat show, "Morning Joe," is co-hosted by former Republican congressman Joe Scarborough — though he had grown disenchanted with Bush-era Republican leadership.)

Since veering left, MSNBC has overtaken CNN in the prime-time ratings. MSNBC still lags behind Fox, but the network has squeezed itself into a cable-news conversation that for years revolved only around CNN and Fox.

Filmmaker Spike Lee directed the new multimillion-dollar campaign, which so far includes two 60-second commercials and promotional ads featuring network stars like Olbermann, Maddow, and Matthews.

You can watch one of the commercials below.