Netflix: The Irishman newspaper

To promote and commemorate the release of Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman, Netflix underwent a month-long activation across two cities. An 8-page broadsheet newspaper was produced, taking audiences back to August 1, 1975, the day after Teamster boss Jimmy Hoffa was reported missing to federal authorities.

At showings at New York’s historic Belasco Theater, copies of The Irishman Daily were stocked in newspaper receptacles adorned with political stickers from the era. Next to those, interactive phone booths played clips from the film on a small screen when you picked up the receiver.

In the pages of The Irishman Daily, auxiliary stories fill out the world of Scorsese’s decades-spanning epic. True crime drama sits among stories of the day, like the MTA increasing subway fare to 50 cents and the Yankees hiring the notorious Billy Martin. Arts and sports pages are filled out with classified listings, standings, and music charts. On the back, an ad paying homage to Frank Sheeran’s chosen profession sits below a map guiding visitors to Netflix’s Little Italy takeover promoting the film.

The design of the paper drew inspiration from the splashy, photo-heavy New York Daily News, while elements from the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, New York Times and Detroit Free Press influenced the denser interior layout. One anachronistic indulgence is Florian Karsten’s Screamer, used only for the front page hammer head. Distressed Futura and ParaType’s SchoolBook round out the headline typography. The newspaper logo is an adaptation of the movie’s logo in all-caps ITC Grouch. Bushwick JNL is used for the word “FINAL” on the left side of the masthead.