Clumsy Dad Saves the Day with The Sun

The Sun and Grey London – part of WPP’s Team News – have created a campaign to celebrate The Sun’s exclusive ‘Superdays’ free tickets deal with Merlin Entertainments. It comprises four 30’ TVCs and radio spots, plus an in-paper and online push.

The first TV ad launches on 13 March and highlights the first Superdays promotion (which runs in-paper 15-31 March): 2 free tickets to Alton Towers Resort which includes the new CBeebies Land, opening in May. In exchange for tokens readers of The Sun can claim two free adult tickets to the resort, worth £96.

The campaign plays on the insight that every parent needs a secret weapon to cheer up their kids when things have gone awry. It focuses on snapshots of family life where things go wrong – whether it’s the overreaction of a tiny spider in the house or that poor dad who has clumsily smashed his son’s meticulously-built castle – but disaster is averted in a heroic ‘save the day’ moment when they tell their kids they are going on a super day out.

It was created by Mike Kennedy and Pauline Ashford and creatively directed by Dave Monk. It was directed by Nic Osborne and Sune Maroni through Epoch Films.

Mike Kennedy and Pauline Ashford said: "Kids are fickle. One minute they’re screaming their heads off, the next they are full of smiles. We wanted to find humour in the range of emotions a kid goes through before they are presented with something they approve of – that ‘will they or won’t they’ moment ."

Credits

Project name: Save The Day, The Sun

Client:

Nick Stringer (Director of Marketing Communications, News UK);

David Robinson (Marketing Director, The Sun);

Lizzie Crees (Account Manager, The Sun)

Agency: Grey London

Creative Director: Dave Monk

Creative Team: Mike Kennedy, Pauline Ashford

Agency producer: Sam Napper

Creative producer: Kevin Noble

Planner: Hamish Cameron

Account team: Natalie Graeme (Managing Partner), Tamsine Foggin (Business Director); Michelle Neads (Account Director)

Media agency: M/SIX

Production company: Epoch Films

Director: Nic Osborne & Sune Maroni

Editor: Mark Burnett at tenthree

Producer: Rob Godbold

DOP: Richard Mott

Post-production: GPS

Audio post-production: GPS