The Guardian recruits Hugh Grant for ad campaign
The Guardian has recruited actor and Hacked Off campaigner Hugh Grant to star in a “tongue-in-cheek” marketing campaign to promote its weekend supplements.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkJ1TYpaoFI
The campaign, which will promote the new Saturday food section “Cook” as well as The Guardian and The Observer’s more established supplements, will also consist of outdoor, social media, press and digital ads.
The main feature of the “Own the Weekend” campaign is a three-minute film pastiche of a Jerry Bruckheimer blockbuster trailer, which will run on its digital channels, shown in cinemas throughout January and on Video on Demand services. Bruckheimer has produced films such as Con Air, Top Gun and Beverly Hills Cop.
Hugh Grant, who has acted as a spokesman for the Hacked Off campaign group that works on behalf of victims of press abuses – many of which were exposed by The Guardian – and is currently pushing for a new independent press regulator appointed by Government, is the star of the creative. He was not paid for his involvement.
The ads will be supported by promotional activity, including nationwide sampling of Saturday Guardian and The Observer content.
The Guardian says the activity continues its “bold and innovative approach to marketing” following the award-winning “The Whole Picture” campaign created last year.
David Pemsel, Guardian News and Media’s chief commercial officer, says: “We wanted to continue last year’s marketing successes by experimenting with a new, bold approach to January marketing in 2013. We’re delighted to have Hugh Grant on board, helping us create a fun and irreverent style which taps into the spirit of our weekend papers.”
The campaign was created by BBH, while media planning and buying was handled by PHD.
If you have a great media brand case study that can demonstrate innovation and ROI then make sure you enter the Marketing Week Engage Awards 2013. The deadline is 15 January and you can find more here.