SECOND OPINION: The Story

RT's "Second Opinion" ad campaign kicked off in August 2014. Its aim: to bring attention to the importance of having a real diversity of voices in the global news media space, and to posit RT as the place to go for alternative viewpoints on current events.

The Iraq War, which serves as the theme of the campaign, is just one example of what can happen when mass media is all too willing to agree on a narrative. More than 11 years later, tens of thousands of people in Iraq and other countries have paid the price for that consensus, with no end to the quagmire in sight.

"RT. For the Second Opinion." debuted with a series of wild postings in New York City, then added them in Washington, DC. The first set of ads featured the former US Secretary of State Colin Powell addressing the United Nations assembly to build support for military action against Iraq, and the second - President Bush delivering his speech aboard USS Abraham Lincoln, with the now-infamous "Mission Accomplished" banner in the background.

Right away the campaign attracted attention of many media outlets, including The New York Times, New York Magazine, The Huffington Post and Buzzfeed, and kicked off debates online in the comments sections and in social media.