In 2014, the announcement of a new print edition of anything is likely to be met with apathy, if not jeers. The British newspaper The Guardian seems to be aware, because its new commercial is definitely not boring.
In the ad promoting its new weekend edition, a nicely dressed man named Ian starts to read the paper as his wife and daughter leave to run some errands.
A slide indicating an hour has passed introduces a scene of pure madness. Machines are left running throughout the house as the sink overflows, articles are tacked onto the walls, a canoe is crashed into the TV, and "Cool Dad" graffiti decorates the living room.
The thing is, the paper inspired Ian to try so many new things he couldn't handle it. He's left staring at flames with a sword in one hand and a dead look in his eyes:
The agency BBH London produced the ad. BBH also produced the "Three Little Pigs" commercial for The Guardian in 2012, a spot so well-done and original that it won an array of awards, including the Grand CLIO Award and the number-one spot on Business Insider's Best Ads Of 2012.
A New Yorker profile on Alan Rusbridger, The Guardian's editor, from last October sheds light on why The Guardian is even bothering to invest in a campaign for a print edition.
Rusbridger envisions a digital-only brand in five or ten years. On the way there, it is very likely that the newspaper will be printed once a week, in a special weekend edition. This new revamping of the weekend brand may be an initial step toward that model.
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