The Guardian's 200-year anniversary campaign says it's a 'work in progress'

The Guardian is celebrating its 200th anniversary in a new outdoor and digital campaign promoting the publication as a "work in progress since 1821." The campaign, by Oliver Agency, includes an extensive billboard push. Spanning 230 U.K. locations, the ads feature the Guardian’s recognizable typography and celebrate its independent ownership and challenger voice. Some of the outdoors illustrate the "work in progress" theme in the form of unfinished billboards, while others feature copy such as "Reader funded not billionaire backed" and "The cat among the pigeons." Three films, created via Independent Films, explore the idea of progress as it relates to key news topics such as the environment and privacy. They feature voiceovers of the late author Ursula K. Le Guin; former Observer journalist, Alan Ross and poet and author Salena Godden, set against footage reflecting some of the dominant stories of both the 20th century and today. The images highlight contemporary stories that the Guardian has broken or campaigned about, such as the Cambridge Analytica scandal and the rise of Greta Thunberg. The campaign will run across the Guardian’s digital platforms and apps, including an animated masthead on the homepage. Additional paid activity is planned across the Guardian’s social media channels, including ads on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter.

The Guardian's 200-year anniversary campaign says it's a 'work in progress'

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