The Guardian newspaper is celebrating the unique nature of its ownership model with a new marketing campaign that spotlights its strong tradition of robust editorial independence.
Developed by indie agency Lucky Generals, the campaign focuses on how the paper’s reader-funded model enables the paper to maintain its journalism open to all, with trustworthiness at the core of that model.
‘Not For Sale’ marks The Guardian’s first brand campaign since 2019’s ‘Hope is Power’ and looks to embrace a new strategic and creative approach through fresh bold designs and confident statements of independence.
The strident creative is centred around a powerful 60-second film that communicates how The Guardian’s impartiality and independence allows it to produce consistent quality journalism that is beholden to no-one.
“Over the last decade we have vastly increased the Guardian’s global reach, readership and revenues, now attracting more than one million paying supporters each month. Readers tell us they support the Guardian because they believe, like we do, in robust independent media that is open to all, funded by many, and beholden to no one,” Guardian News & Media chief executive Anna Bateson said.
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“Our new Europe edition and our bold new marketing message carry forward this mission and will help us to cultivate even deeper relationships with readers, advertisers and other partners who believe in our values.”
Running across Channel 4, online and in UK cinemas from 25th September, the hero film will be supported by a range of digital, social and out-of-home executions pushed out across the European market.
Posters proclaiming The Guardian to be “Loved”, “Hated”, “Trusted” , “Feared”, “But never controlled” will spring up across Amsterdam, Berlin, Dublin and Paris, as well as London, Manchester, Bristol, Liverpool and Edinburgh.
Lucky Generals managing director Cressida Holmes-Smith added: “With ‘Not for sale’ we focused on what makes the Guardian unique in the news landscape – the fact that because it is reader funded (rather than owned by controlling interests like billionaires or politicians) its journalism can never be influenced or controlled.
“We knew the creative idea had to be as impactful as the paper itself and really drive home the vast range of emotions and reactions its unique publishing model gives it – but in a way that no one would be expecting. From the TV to the OOH we wanted to show just how ingrained the paper is in society but also how playful it can be.”
