Josi Mabry Advertisement Essay

Josefine Mabry

Nancy Cook

Writing 122

21 November 2013

A Clever Tale With an Intelligent Twist

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDGrfhJH1P4

The first shot is of a pot of boiling water over a fire.  A newspaper headline reads: Big Bad Wolf boiled alive.  “Little Pig, Little Pig let us in,” shouts a policeman as a team of law enforcers break down the door. The story progresses from the Three Little Pigs’ arrest, to the discovery that the Big Bad Wolf had asthma, to the Pigs’ conviction of insurance fraud. There is a heavy emphasis on social media and technology throughout the storyline. “Opennnews” is hashtagged many times throughout the advertisement, introducing the Guardian newspaper’s new approach to news, incorporating the public into their process.  The Guardian’s new advertisement did an extraordinary job of creating a clever and interesting advertisement, utilizing cultural references to appeal to a broad audience, and cleverly placing the product and idea throughout the storyline.

The fast-paced ad is typical to television. What isn’t typical is the depth and length of the Three Little Pigs ad. It delves deeply into the issue of whether or not the Pigs are innocent. In doing so it makes its viewers take sides and question their own opinions and ideas. Much as one might do with a real issue in the news today.  The editing is smooth and clever, with relevant statistics and comments popping up on screen all through the ad. The style of the shots gives it a cinematic feel, similar to a movie trailer. Creatives actually studied trailers for different movies, especially those that gave the most plot away like “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” (Pathak). It is supposed to be a complete story, albeit a little different. Indeed, the director of the ad Ringan Ledwidge felt that it “inhabited its own parallel universe that was familiar but also allowed the viewer to embrace elements of fantasy” (Pathak).

       The story that the advertisement is based off of is one that many will connect to their own childhoods. In this way it is ingeniously creating even more connections, which is the goal of an advertisement, be it through laughter, sadness, or in this case childhood memories. It is memorable in the way it stirs up memories and takes an interesting if not downright riveting spin on a classic tale.  The modern way in which the classic tale is portrayed is very intentional.  A chief executive in the Guardian Media Group Andrew Miller stated that “the aim is to reach progressive audiences and show them why they should spend time with us” (Burgoyne).  In addition to the classic tale of the Three Little Pigs, it incorporates the issue of Homeowners’ rights against intruders and financial difficulties. The Pigs are convicted of Insurance fraud which they only did in order to keep up with their mortgage payments. In these trying times of financial distress much of the public can sympathize with their financial problems. Also, especially in the US, the issue of protecting private property is always on the table, be it through guns, or in this case a pot of boiling water.

        Usually an ad is clearly focused on a single product or line of products. The Guardian did something different by incorporating many different social media outlets into the two minute video. It included Youtube, Facebook, and Twitter along with the Guardian on multiple different platforms ranging from a printed newspaper to an article on an iPad. This makes it slightly less clear as to what is actually trying to be promoted, also bringing the focus away from the product and more to the story. This might be seen as negative, since the goal of an ad tends to be to sell something, but the way that the Guardian slips in casually makes it seem effortless and more intriguing. Especially since the actual product is not the Guardian itself, but its new “Open Journalism” approach, which incorporates the other platforms seen in the video. “Open Journalism” is an effort on the Guardian’s part to try and incorporate its readers not only in commenting on news, but also in contributing and in some cases even determining the news agenda (Burgoyne).  This is seen in the ad through surveys and statistics of the general public.

     Though some may see the Three Little Pigs ad as merely an entertaining way to sell an idea, it was

cleverly created in order to create connections with a large audience and present its new ideas in an

intriguing way.  As the whole truth about the Pigs is revealed, it is chronicled by the news and the

public. The role of journalism in the modern world has changed since the addition of social media,

and the Guardian is showing with this ad that they are changing and adapting with the times.