2021 Silver Best Design or Art Direction

Agency: OLIVER Agency

Client: the Guardian

Campaign Name: the Guardian 200 Years, a Work in Progress

Campaign Overview

In 2021 The Guardian turned 200.

The publication wanted to celebrate the milestone with existing readers while also gaining new subscribers and supporters.

Strategy

Most brands might choose to celebrate past achievements but The Guardian chose to focus on what comes next.

For 200 years, its mission has been to make the world a better, fairer place for everyone - by holding power to account, representing the untold stories and advocating for social progress by providing everyone with open access to crucial information.

This mission is far from finished as the campaign strapline acknowledged through double meaning: For 200 years, a work in progress. That truth needed bringing to life.

Creativity

The campaign ran across press, display across both site and app, social, podcasts, film, emails and newsletters to existing subscribers, and direct mail.

The centrepiece was a multi-city OOH campaign across 180 sites - including special builds that were still in progress - and in poignant locations with deeper meaning, like the mega-banner in Manchester moments from the newspaper’s birthplace. There was even a commemorative plaque.

It was felt copy should be at the beating heart of a news brand’s campaign. Provocative headlines were aligned to enduring values and product points that only The Guardian could lay claim to.

The publication has always had a special, purpose-driven relationship with its readersso the milestone would have significance for them, too. Executions were crafted with a knowing nod to create a sense of joint celebration.

Art direction wove together famed typography that spanned the 200 years in print. The 'collectible' design curation was another acknowledgement of the relationship the brand has with its audience.

A collaboration with the editorial team resulted in a new logo in the masthead, a reprint of the first edition of The Guardian, a limited-edition 200-year newspaper and a digital special edition.

Results

It was one of The Guardian's best-performing campaigns, resonating with the industry and readers.

Over 5,000 birthday messages were received from all over the world from figures including Stephen Fry, Richard E Grant, Hilary Clinton and Director General of WHO, Tedros Adhanom.

The campaign achieved 41.6 million page views per day across the site, and 6 million on G200 birthday pages.

It delivered substantial financial support with 59,800 acts of support across single and recurring revenue.

There was also a 16% increase in awareness with non-readers, giving the publication a powerful starting point for the next 200 years.

The Team

OLIVER Agency - Rod Sobral, Global Chief Creative Officer - Rob Kavanagh, Executive Creative Director - Sam Jacobs, Creative Director - Rae Stones, Creative Director - Dan Perry, Planner - Liam Smith, Design Director - Ben Longden, Producer - Tony Barry, Director

Independent Films - Parv Thind, Sound Designer - Seamus O'Kane, Colourist - Jon Hopkins, Postproduction Music Domino Publishing - Alex Breuer, Design Director - Kate Davies, Head of Marketing