I've read many fairy tales to my kids over the years. Favourites
include such classics as Jack and the Beanstalk or more
contemporary tales like The Gruffalo. One popular request was the
tale of the Three Little Pigs. This simple yet terrifying tale of
the wolf at the door always raised pulses and often reduced the
little'uns into gibbering wrecks just before bed. Fairy tale
induced insomnia - just who's idea was it to make fairy tales so
bloodthirsty? Anyway, for the most part I attribute the children's
sleeplessness to the fact that I modelled my Wolf on Jack
Nicholson's Jack Torrance in the Shining as he approached the
bathroom, axe in hand, maniacally promising Wendy of his intent to
'Huff' and 'Puff' etc… This was, of course, ill-advised but the
truth remains that in most cases, fairy tales warm my heart for
their ability to both delight and terrify.
The new ad from The Guardian, its first for 25 years, uses the
story of the Three Little Pigs to launch their new editorial
positioning - Open Journalism. Led by Editor in Chief Alan
Rusbridger, Open Journalism encourages participation and a
democratisation of the news. The idea is not new as the growth of
mobile and social technologies have seen the delivery of news
transformed. This ad is the Guardian's attempt to jump into the
middle of this space and claim it as theirs.
Executed as a mocumentary, the ad cracks open the case of the
Three Little Pigs as if it were covered by today's media. We see
the twists and turns of the story as it unfolds: The pigs are
arrested, the wolf is held to blame and then vindicated when
someone discovers his chronic asthma. The pigs are then accused of
'doing it for the money', money that was required to support a
mortgage pillaged by a corrupt and greedy banking sector. It's a
gripping farce that despite its absurd content gives a realistic
view of the media today - a fast paced montage of newspaper
headlines, Twitter feeds, TV, mobile phone footage, social media,
the lot.
When I first saw the ad I was gripped, mostly in joyous
disbelief, a big smile fixed to my face. I found it reminiscent of
a Charlie Brooker drama with a nice nod to the Guardian's earlier
1980's 'Points of View' ad. It was the first ad I'd seen in a long
time that made me sit up and watch right to the end. There's been
some debate over whether the seriousness of the paper is
compromised by the jokey plotline but I don't think it has. The
fact that it makes a serious point with fairy tale characters works
well for me - knowingly entertaining, nicely satirical.
Brand Strategy Verdict
Will it bring home the (ahem) bacon? Well there's no doubt that
it's all very 'Guardian' - and with that it's difficult to know if
it will actually attract any new readers rather serve to re-confirm
the existing believers. But it's definitely been noticed and may
well serve to convince those who are sitting on the fence (be it
made of straw, sticks or brick.)
Overall score: 7.5
This review was first published in Marketing Magazine.
Gareth James
Executive Creative Director