The Joy of Print
The Guardian Print Subscriptions Campaign
BRIEF
Get more people buying and subscribing to The Guardian in print. An area of the publishing industry that has been in steady decline for years thanks to the rise of digital media consumption, and a tendency for providers to focus on their digital formats.
STRATEGY
At a time when competitors were pushing hard on digital subs, we deployed a very unusual strategy: drive preference (and subscriptions) for our paper paper. We’d demonstrate or reaffirm the role a real newspaper could play in our readers’ lives – many of whom had never paid for print before.
CREATIVE SOLUTION
Our idea was the Joy of Print – a campaign that contrasted the tangible pleasure of paper with the digital world. Executed with a knowing smile and a sense of nostalgia it connected with older readers – and piqued the interest of new audiences with its knowing retro novelty.
The integrated media plan included Tube Card Panels, OOH, social, and, of course, print.
RESULTS
The campaign was the most successful subscription driver in The Guardian’s history. Resulting in over 8,000 new print subscribers in the first month alone. And, despite a price rise during the campaign period, news stand sales increased too – up 13,000+ copies above target per week.