Reclaiming the Commercial Break

Channel 4, Iris (a global creative network) and advertising reformers Purpose Disruptors launched a provocative TV spot subverting the purpose of advertising in the latest iteration of its ‘Reclaiming the Commercial Break’ campaign.

The 30-second film featured comedian and writer Simon Amstell playing the part of ‘the advert’ with his trademark wit and irreverence. ‘The Good Advert’ was the latest execution of Purpose Disruptors’ ‘Reclaiming the Commercial Break’ multichannel campaign, created with Iris, supported with media strategy by MG OMD, which launched on Earth Day 2023. The campaign saw traditional advertising spaces in the UK - including the TV, cinema screens and the iconic Piccadilly Lights - subvert traditional advertising messages to bring home the reality that advertising and consumption of material things distract from what’s important in life.

‘The Good Advert’ featured during the ad break of Channel 4’s ‘The Great Climate Fight’, a 3-part series featuring Mary Portas, Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall, Oobah Butler and Kevin McCloud. The season is timed in line with the UN climate conference COP28. 

The full campaign achieved a combined reach of 3.5 million. The gravitas of C4’s ‘The Great Climate Fight’ and Simon Amstell’s appeal helped ensure ‘The Good Advert’ was picked as Campaign’s Ad of the day and earned 16 press articles, including coverage in Business Green, Creativebrief, Marketing Beat and Little Black Book. The advert’s legacy has seen it featured in qualitative research with C4’s Core4 audience, helping generate useful insights on the future of climate communications messaging for public engagement.