How do you market a media product focused on showcasing the most wealthy in the midst of a cost of living crisis? For the Sunday Times the answer to this marketing conundrum. 

For the 35th anniversary of the Sunday Times Rich List, the paper has created a series of cartoons. The illustrations take a light-hearted approach to the list and showcase comedic audience reactions.

The Sunday Times Rich List is the paper’s definitive guide to wealth and the wealthy. It transparently lists out for readers the richest people in Britain. As well as  featuring a 35 under 35 list and a list of those who give the most money to charity.

The Sunday Times Rich List has been a tradition for the past 35 years and this year’s edition will be made available to read online on Friday 19th May, and in print on Sunday 21st May. 

To celebrate 35 years of the Rich List a cartoon campaign has been created in a collaboration between Pulse Creative - News UK’s in-house agency operated by The&Partnership - and editorial staff at The Sunday Times.

The campaign takes the form of six different cartoon executions each in classic editorial cartoon style. One execution shows an alarmed woman sitting in an armchair saying, “How much!!?”. Another shows a man riding on a spin bike getting increasingly exercised, saying, “I had that idea”. 

Two other cartoons show a man at a drinks party looking smug and explaining to two other guests, “I went to school with her” and a couple at a dinner table, one reading the Rich List and the other asking sarcastically, “Am I on it?”. The cartoons have been created by The Sunday Times Design Editor, Russel Herneman. The campaign runs in press, social media, email and online display. 

“A lot has changed in the 35 years The Sunday Times has charted the world of wealth. Fortunes have been made and lost. There have been booms, busts and credit crunches. But for this special edition we focused our campaign on the enduring reactions of the readers.” says Russell Ramsey, Executive Creative Director of Pulse.

In the midst of a cost of living crisis, taking a light-hearted approach while maintaining the importance of journalistic integrity and transparency ensures that the list stays relevant. 

“The Sunday Times Rich List is a perfect example of the kind of in-depth reporting our readers value and this campaign tries to step into their minds and capture their thoughts.” adds Louise Agran, Marketing Director of The Times and The Sunday Times.