Together with Rob Burleigh and Ben Terrett I've written a campaign which will support the relaunch of the oldest Sunday paper in the world breaks with a series of 6 sheets.
During the summer, there was lots of speculation over the future of the Observer, or as the editor, John Mulholland calls it, 'a series of rigorous discussions that looked at the role of a Sunday paper'.
During this time a vocal support group was set up online http://www.standupfortheobserver.org.uk
For our teaser campaign, we felt nothing could demonstrate this better than highlighting some of the quotes from the site. Here's one from Piers Morgan and one from Iain Banks. Both authentic quotes about the paper, written long before we thought about an advertising campaign and both powerful things for a brand to say.
Following on from the teaser print campaign for the relaunch of the Observer, we have created a TV spot too.
As the editor, John Mulholland puts it, 'The paper's new incarnation came out of a series of rigorous discussions that looked at the role of a Sunday paper in an age when newspapers have radically changed and in an age of digital revolution. What is the proper role of a Sunday paper in that changed environment?
That was the challenge and we had to emerge with a paper that was distinct from the competition, that played on the Observer's core strengths and that took account of what we could provide in an age when readers are increasingly at the receiving end of a media tsunami. Amid that chaos there is a role for a Sunday paper that offers increased reflection, discursiveness and analysis.'
The TV ad, directed by BAFTA award-winning David C Kerr (who also directed sketch show That Mitchell & Webb Look) and starring Justin Edwards (who plays Ben Swain in BBC2's political comedy The Thick Of It) highlights the blizzard of news we are faced with every day and reminds us we all need to pause, review and reflect once in a while.
There's two 30 second versions that will be running on TV for two weeks and a longer version for the web which will feature on the homepage of guardian.co.uk this weekend.
