Turning Snark Into Strategy, With The Onion | AdExchanger

"The Onion doesn't do brand safety. In fact, the less brand safe, the better. Working for The Onion is like "leaning into all of my worst habits," quips CMO Leila Brillson on this week's episode of AdExchanger Talks. There aren't many topics that The Onion shies away from, instead embracing jokes about Jeffrey Epstein and proposing deeply unappetizing RFK Jr.-approved alternatives to Halloween candy."

"The Onion manages to reach a wide audience by focusing on "the absurdities of daily life," says Brillson. Although people who grew up reading The Onion, now in middle age, make up a large share of its readership, there's also a growing contingent of Gen Zers who send each other headlines on Instagram. That group is constantly expanding, she says, because the content is "extremely social" in nature."

"Dedicated fans can now buy a membership that includes receiving physical newspapers and other "surprises" through the mail. The goal was to monetize almost entirely from dedicated (or, as Brillson put it, "rabid") fans with minimal focus on traditional advertising and monetization techniques. 2025 was about "proving we can do this," says Brillson, giving a nod to The Onion's recent mockumentary about Jeffrey Epstein, which aired in theaters in over 30 US cities."

The Onion rejects traditional brand safety and routinely embraces provocative, controversial satire, including jokes about Jeffrey Epstein and satirical takes on public figures. The publication centers on the absurdities of daily life to reach a broad audience, attracting long-time middle-aged readers and a growing Gen Z cohort who share headlines on social platforms. Dedicated fans can purchase memberships that include physical newspapers and mailed "surprises," supporting a strategy that prioritizes monetization from devoted readers over conventional advertising. The Onion expanded into events and filmed a mockumentary screened in over 30 U.S. cities. AI-driven overviews and chatbots have not replicated satire, helping preserve site traffic.

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