New York, October 20, 2015 – The Guardian today announced the launch of ‘Side Hustle’, a new branded content campaign developed in partnership with Squarespace, the leading all-in-one website publishing platform. The campaign will examine the economy of pursuing occupational or creative side hustles in addition to full-time work and will consist of a 39-part multimedia series running over the next three months, aiming to inspire a new generation of young people to join movement of side hustlers.
‘Side Hustle’ will document the lives of a number of side hustlers at different stages of pursuing their passion. Illustrating their stories through a video series that is complemented by additional articles, audio features and infographics, the initiative will highlight the highs and lows of becoming a side hustler with the hope of inspiring others to join the movement. All ‘Side Hustle’ content will be clearly labeled as ‘Brought to you by Squarespace’.
With the evolution of technology over the past decade, it has become exponentially easier for the average person to pursue a passion or hobby on a more professional level, while also still holding a full-time job that supports their day-to-day life. With its mission to provide the creative tools necessary to help anyone give a voice to their ideas, Squarespace is already a consistent supporter of side hustlers and the campaign provides an opportunity to motivate others to begin their own projects. Targeting those with side hustle ambitions also perfectly aligns with the Guardian’s readership of educated, thoughtful and sophisticated professionals.
“Our society is full of inspirational stories about entrepreneurs who have made many sacrifices to do what they love and do it well,” said Rachel Israel, EVP of Guardian Labs. “Our partnership with Squarespace will allow us to share stories that we hope will foster a conversation about how people are pursuing their passions in a whole new way. We look forward to seeing how this campaign resonates with our audience and impacts the next movement of side hustlers.”
In addition to the wider campaign and social prompts via #mysidehustle, the Guardian and Squarespace will host a user generated contest to create additional buzz. Using a unique hashtag, the contest will invite users to share their own side hustle goals with the public. One winner will be selected at the end of the contest and receive dedicated business coaching as well as a written profile on theguardian.com.
For more information on the ‘Side Hustle’ campaign and to view the series please visit: theguardian.com/side-hustle
Media Inquiries:
Guardian US Press Office
Phone: 646.937.5878
Email: pressoffice@theguardian.com
About Guardian US
Guardian US, with newsrooms in New York, Washington DC and San Francisco, covers US and global news for an online audience across America.
Guardian News & Media (GNM), publisher of theguardian.com, is one of the largest English-speaking newspaper website in the world. Since launching its US and Australia digital editions in 2011 and 2013 respectively, traffic from outside of the UK now represents over two-thirds of the Guardian’s total digital audience.
First published in 1821, the Guardian is most recently renowned for its agenda-setting NSA surveillance revelations following disclosures by whistleblower Edward Snowden, globally acclaimed investigation into phone hacking, and trailblazing partnership with Wikileaks in 2010, and the launch of its groundbreaking digital-first strategy in 2011.
About Squarespace
Squarespace’s mission is to provide creative tools that power the future of the web. From designers creating the next generation of web and mobile experiences, to anyone managing their own online presence for the first time, Squarespace provides elegant solutions that set new standards for online publishing. By focusing our efforts on the fusion of design and engineering, we strive to create long-lasting products that balance form and function. Squarespace’s team of more than 500 is headquartered in downtown New York City, with additional offices in Dublin and Portland. For more information, visit squarespace.com/about/.