The campaign has been created by The Economist's long-standing ad agency Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO. There are five executions, each highlighting the quality and seriousness of The Economist.
One proclaims: "If you find rubbish in The Economist it's because there's an extremely interesting story about rubbish." Another reads: "Stories can come from Thailand, Greenland and Swaziland ... but never cloud-cuckoo-land".
The campaign was overseen by creative director Paul Brazier. Mark Fairbanks is the copywriter and Paul Cohen is the art director.
The ads break on May 3 and will run in railway stations, black cabs, magazine supplements in weekend newspapers and on six-sheets at Waitrose stores. The campaign will also run online. Media strategy is by Paul Gummer Associates and the planning and buying is through Kinetic and TCS.
Jacqui Kean, global brand director of The Economist, said: "What is most exciting about this campaign is that we are spoilt for choice when looking for brand truths. The Economist is rich in irreverence, independence and intelligence. Our readers, and people like them, want smart media. These ads will encourage more people to discover a great read."
AMV BBDO was behind the iconic advertising for The Economist, most famously defined by the "Management trainee, aged 42" execution. This approach was abandoned last September after 19 years for a more art-focused approach.
Ditching such a well-loved campaign seems to have paid off, with the new strategy winning many prizes at this year's Creative Circle awards. The most recent Audit Bureau of Circulations figures showed that the UK edition of The Economist had boosted its circulation over 2007 by 6.7%, selling an average of 181,374 copies a week.
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