Great campaigns don't just shape brands. Great campaigns infiltrate culture. The Guardian had a bold ambition: To introduce its model of ‘open journalism’. Against a declining newspaper industry, we had to stamp the Guardian as a 21st century platform harnessing diverse contributors for the whole picture. To demonstrate the explosive power of open news, we took the simplest of stories - The 3 Little Pigs – and showed open interrogation exposing a bigger truth behind the fairytale ending. We followed brand philosophy with product communications. Print, outdoor and digital communications detailed the Guardian’s diverse contributors creating superior coverage in its stories. The campaign made global headlines. Not only did it cement the relevance of the Guardian brand, it ignited wider debate about the role and nature of news in today’s world. This wasn’t just a campaign for a newspaper, this was a campaign that shaped the news.

A driver has as valid an opinion on fry-ups as a food writer. A die-hard sports fan could have trivia that adds to a reporter’s story. That is the ‘open’ message distilled.Paring down ‘open’ to its simplest form, our posters showed how diverse contributors lead to superior coverage.Visually, the same minimalist approach was applied. Bold shapes were the focal point drawing the eye in a cluttered landscape. Stripped of detail, each acted as a visual riddle for the reader to unscramble.Rewarding, intelligent and witty, these signposted the image of the modern Guardian.

The posters were part of an integrated campaign that made global headlines and amassed 941,232 hits on the microsite. (Source: Guardian) In commercial terms, there was a 19% spike in readers visiting the main Guardian site over the campaign period. (Source: Hitwise)Even isolating the effect of the posters, the work resonated with progressives and modernised the brand:- Almost a third of target progressives were more likely to associate the brand with being ‘modern’ and ‘humorous’. (Source: Guardian panel)- Fans have lauded them for being “cool and clever”, “beautiful in its simplicity”, with one asking, “are they available to buy?” (Source: online blog and twitter posts)