Two-minute advert on Channel 4 features 21st-century twist on tale of three little pigs

This article is more than 8 years old

This article is more than 8 years old

The Guardian has launched its first major brand positioning TV ad for more than 25 years with a commercial broadcast on Channel 4 as part of a campaign promoting the paper's concept of "open journalism".

Breaking on Channel 4 at 10.10pm on Wednesday during Ten O'Clock Live, the two-minute TV ad features a 21st-century twist on the tale of the three little pigs, with the aim of showcasing the Guardian's multimedia credentials and open journalism philosophy. The ad will run at the same time across E4, More4 and Film4.

The TV ad follows a developing story of three little pigs being arrested in a police raid, via the Guardian's coverage and interaction with readers and internet users through the newspaper, website, blogs, tweets and video.

However, everything is not as it first seems, in a nod to the Guardian's last major brand positioning TV ad campaign, 1986's "Points of View".

"Open is our operating system, a way of doing things that is based on a belief in the open exchange of information, ideas and opinions and its power to bring about change," said Alan Rusbridger, editor-in-chief of Guardian and MediaGuardian publisher Guardian News & Media. "The campaign is designed to bring that philosophy to life for new and existing readers."

The TV commercial, developed by ad agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH), marks the start of an advertising campaign that will also include outdoor advertising, cinema, press, and YouTube.

Directed by Ringan Ledwidge – perhaps best known for the Hovis "Go on Lad" commercial charting major moments in UK history through the eyes of a boy – the Guardian TV ad revives "The Whole Picture" strapline used in the 1986 ad.

Following the TV launch on Wednesday night the campaign will roll out to a range of media, with advertising space planned and bought by agency PHD, for a month.

Plans include a 24-hour takeover of the UK YouTube homepage, a 60-second version of the ad on Channel 4, which has struck an exclusive deal for the television advertising, a 90 second version for Picturehouse cinemas, outdoor advertising on billboards in prime locations in London and Manchester, and press ads in the Guardian, Grazia, Time Out and the Big Issue.

"The aim is to reach progressive audiences and show them why they should spend time with us," said Andrew Miller, chief executive of GNM parent company Guardian Media Group.

The ad campaign has been developed by BBH, GNM's head of sales and marketing Richard Furness, and marketing consultant David Pemsel.

The Guardian decided to develop a repositioning campaign after conducting a brand, marketing and audience review late last year undertaken by David Pemsel, the former group marketing director at ITV.

A pitch for the Guardian's advertising account, which had been handled by Wieden & Kennedy London, was kicked-off at the end of October.

The pitch was won by BBH, the agency behind work including Nick Kamen and Flat Eric Levi's ads, Vorsprung Durch Technik for Audi and more recently Yeo Valley's rapping farmers.