Advertising reformer, Purpose Disruptors, has launched an advert that should make even advert avoiders stop, look and listen. The 30-second film features comedian and writer, Simon Amstell, playing the part of ‘the advert’ with his trademark wit and irreverence. It begins with a glitching test card followed by a blacked-out screen. Filling the blank void, is the conscience of ‘the ad’, reflecting awkwardly on how adverts usually encourage people to spend more before it asks viewers to spend more time “getting out there in nature” instead. The ad ends with the line, The future is ours to create.
The provocative TV spot, that subverts the purpose of advertising, is the latest iteration of its Reclaiming the Commercial Break campaign, part of its Good Life 2030 project, developed with Iris.
The Good Ad went to air during Channel 4’s Change Climate programming on Wednesday November 21 during the ad break of The Great Climate Fight, a 3-part series on Channel 4 featuring Mary Portas, Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall, Oobah Butler and Kevin McCloud. The season is timed in line with the UN climate conference COP28.
The campaign invites the advertising industry to reflect on its role in society and recognise its enormous potential to help bring about the transformational cultural and behavioural shifts required to halve emissions by 2030 and secure a liveable future for humanity.
Lisa Merrick-Lawless, co-founder, Purpose Disruptors, stated, “The Good Advert is the latest chapter in our efforts to reclaim the commercial break with an important message from Purpose Disruptors. It’s a TV ad that on reflection has realised that instead of spending more we are all better off spending more time out there in nature. It’s an ad with a conscience.”
Grant Hunter, global executive creative director, Iris, added, “We’ve created The Good Advert to create space for reflection in the Change Climate programming on Channel 4. It asks us all to do our bit in response to the climate emergency. Even adverts have a part to play, even though that may seem a little out of character. The future is ours to create.”
Ewan Douglas, head of sales nations and regions, and business development, Channel 4, commented, “This clever campaign from Purpose Disruptors subverts the conventions of traditional advertising to draw attention to the issue of the climate emergency and the part that the ad industry plays in it.”
Credits:
Creative Agency: Iris
Executive Creative Director: Grant Hunter
Associate Creative Director: Stevie Rowing-Parker
Chief Strategy Officer: Ben Essen
Executive Producer: Bradley Woodus
Designer: Ted Chiddle
Sound: Wave Studios
Engineer: Tony Rapaccioli
Post House: Nineteen Twenty
Client: Purpose Disruptors
Co-founder: Lisa Merrick-Lawless
Project Director: Ceri Jones
Creative Lead: Ally Kingston
Comms & Community Manager: Aimee Brewerton
