To celebrate TED’s 40th anniversary, we’re ushering in a new chapter and a new tagline.
For the first half of TED‘s existence, we were an annual conference, bringing together a few hundred people every year to think about Technology, Entertainment, Design and all that connected them. We discovered that this convergence sparked powerful new ideas capable of deeply inspiring the people who attended.
Just under 20 years ago, online video gave us the chance to start sharing that inspiration more broadly. And we encouraged anyone who saw a TED Talk to play their own role in sharing with the tagline “Ideas Worth Spreading.”
Those words have served us well. It’s estimated that TED Talks have been seen or listened to more than 30 billion times.
But now they’re part of a gushing torrent of online content of all sorts. We are all deluged with endless snippets of dopamine-sparking provocation from our social media feeds and streaming services.
As we look forward to the next 40 years, we think it’s time for us to make a more confident assertion of what makes TED content special.
We’re in awe of the fact that our speakers may spend months crafting their TED Talks. And that those talks may be based on a lifetime’s work. We’re in awe of the things that can happen when a talk ignites and inspires a sense of possibility in millions of minds. Like when architect Michael Murphy heard Bryan Stevenson’s epic TED Talk and was inspired to help create the National Memorial for Peace and Justice. Or when Supriya Paul heard Sir Ken Robinson’s plea for an education revolution and decided to start one of her own in India in the form of Josh Talks, which now reach millions of people every month. Or when Monica Lewinsky plucked up the courage to come to the TED stage, reclaim her narrative and inspire countless kids to no longer be intimidated by online bullies.
These talks are not for doom-scrolling pleasure. They matter. They can give an individual hope. They offer motivation to discover our better selves.
And sometimes the ripple effects are bigger still. They can ignite technological revolutions and inspire initiatives that impact millions. Politicians come and go. Ideas are forever. And for everyone.
And so … we proudly unveil our new tagline. Are you ready?
Ideas Change Everything.
We believe this to our core. And we’re proud to play a role in discovering, debating and sharing the best of them.
Everyone has their own part to play. I invite you to double down on your commitment to lifelong learning and join us in sparking a brighter tomorrow.
With determined hope,
Chris Anderson
Head of TED
3 ways you can take action
- Watch these great talks and be inspired
- Learn more about the TED organization
- Become a TED Member today
