I created a happier Washington Post.

In a beverage market, heavily saturated with hard seltzers, Mike’s Hard Lemonade wanted a fresh way to remind consumers of its 25-year-old brand.

A key statistic—that negative news fatigue affects 7 in 10 Americans¹—bubbled up the idea for “The Good News Effect,” a campaign that offered a refreshing respite from the negative news cycle.

First, we showed readers how good news can positively impact their moods with an emotion recognition technology experiment. Next, Mike’s Hard Lemonade staged a takeover of The Washington Post homepage with a “(S)ad Blocker” that filtered out sad news and directed readers to a collection of uplifting stories. Finally, an NYC pop-up event treated 800+ lucky visitors to a refreshing break from their daily grinds and enjoy an oasis of free samples, exciting games, and even selfie popsicles.

Source: 1. Pew Research Center