D&AD: Final Outcome

Overall the final social media adverts for this brief work well as they effectively engage a younger audience (35+) through an application they already use to keep in touch with the world and learn what's going on around them. Furthermore, the use of having these adverts on social media helps boost The Times and Sunday Times online presences as many people are unaware that they have social media such as Instagram. Although focusing on the idea of highlighting the traditional puzzles associated with printed papers have moved online with a greater variety now available doesn't focus on the news element of the paper as much as other ideas such as the timeline. The use of puzzles creates a more engaging advert that draws users in more, making them more inclined to click on the link and explore the Times digitally. Featuring non-traditional puzzles makes the adverts more engaging as viewers stop to think about what puzzle is in front of them as it would be much easier for them to scroll passed if sudoku or a crossword was used as many people would recognise the format very quickly potentially dismissing the advert/post. Using subtle visual cues from The Time/Sunday Times existing brand such as colour and typeface used allows the adverts to maintain the Times's brand values whilst also standing out and appealing to a younger audience on social media. In relation to the animations themselves, each has been completed to a high standard having been modelled off the layouts used by The Times. Throughout this campaign, the adverts comment on the Times's tag line 'know your times?' in a clever way as the use of the tag line asks viewers if they know the puzzle/if they can solve it but also asks if they knew The Times offered these digitally. Creating a subliminal challenge through the use of the tag line also makes viewers more inclined to click the link to see if they can solve the puzzle. Using the free trial page as the loading page for the link also allows viewers to try the puzzle and explore the site to determine if they believe its worth paying for. This allows the features and journalism featured by The Times to speak for itself, encouraging viewers to purchase a digital package by playing on their desire to be in the know. This allows the campaign to work successfully without having aggressive sales strategies that might alienate some readers as the subscription price isn't the first thing they are introduced too, as they are introduced to the fun side (puzzles) first alongside the trustworthy journalism through the free trial.  If more time was available the animations could have been made more complex including more elements however the simplicity of the animations works well for the older target audience who might not respond to more energetic animations.