New York Times Releases ‘Spelling Bee’ Campaign To Help Needy Children Learn

New York Times is putting its ‘Spelling Bee’ game to good work in a new campaign to help underprivileged kids learn. 

Running across the NYC subway network, the new out-of-home ads ride on the upward trend of subway usage, which reportedly rose by almost 83% as the pandemic eases, to engage idle commuters in a “game for good.”

How to play, you ask? Well, basics first: the word game prompts players to think of as many words as possible from the set of seven alphabet letters. 

The posters on the subway walls feature magnified previews and QR codes for passers-by to scan and participate. They will then be directed straight to the challenge and even provide different tips on how to ace it.

But perhaps the most noteworthy part is that every time someone shares the hashtag #beetime and tags the social media handle @nytgames, US$1—and up to a total of US$500,000—will be donated to the First Book foundation. 

The First Book distributes books and educational tools to low-income families and communities. According to Kyle Zimmer, CEO and co-founder of the organization, over 38% of the country’s children come from needy communities attending schools that do not have adequate funding and educational resources.

So, next time while waiting for the subway, why not help to spell a future for someone else?

[via Marketing Dive and New York Times Games, cover image via New York Times Games]