Dive Brief: 

• The New York Times, a bit of a pioneer in digital native ads, ran its first-ever native print ad Wednesday. 
• The ad, sponsored by Shell, is an eight page wrap-around that will be on the outside of home editions and around the business section in newsstand copies. 
• Additionally, the ad will utilize augmented reality that readers can access by using the mobile Blippar app. 

Dive Insight: 

Arguably, native ads have existed in print long before digital, but the Times is putting a new twist on the medium. Just like with its previous digital native ads, the publication has gone above and beyond expectations to deliver a tangible editorial element to the ads that has yet to be matched. Print is thought to be on the decline, but other publications could follow in the Times footsteps to try to recapture some excitement around print editions.