"Saturday Made Me Do It" for the Guardian’s Saturday magazine dared readers to bring more oomph to their week by showcasing aspirational, out‑of‑character moments – painting, urban gardening and amateur gymnastics – sparked by features in the Saturday edition. 

The ‘at-home’ concept supported a low-impact approach as we were able to use a single shoot location and reduce travel and set build. Fully produced in-house and shot with photographer Sam McElwee, we captured all three scenes in one adaptable house in a single day. The location was zoned into a painting studio, faux London allotment and compact pommel‑horse rig, and used pre‑rigging, modular sets, local hires and LED lighting to speed turnaround, cut location and travel costs, and reduce vehicle trips and carbon emissions.

The work was named Campaign UK’s Ad of the Week. Joel Midgley, Director of Brand & Marketing at the Guardian, said: “Our weekend readers are curious for new experiences and this campaign captures that very essence. Saturday magazine helps people escape the mundane and better navigate the world, a way for many to start the week, not end it.”

‍

This case study was provided by Oliver agency and the project was included in the 2025 dataset.

‍

CO2e correct as at date of activity input/edit. Subject to change in future if Final Footprint is reopened and activities edited, due to underlying factor updates.