2022 Winners & Shortlists

Summary of the work

In the UAE, an average child read books for pleasure for 6 minutes-a-year. To reverse declining book sales, WHSmith reversed the declining love for reading, by entering the world children love - mobile games. These games have forced pop-up ads that cannot be closed. In-game mobile ads were hijacked, with Pop Up Books (as ads) that children needed to read and interact with in order to continue playing their game. Popular games were selected, and a range of globally popular children’s books were redesigned as short stories to match the games’ content, fitting within the world of in-game pop up ads. After each story, children picked the right answer and earned rewards like coins, extra lives and boosts. Influencing culture by making the experience of reading, a rewarding one for today’s generation, WHSmith was rewarded with business growth. 29% of children were engaged. 98% of stories were read till the end. We earned endorsements from authors during the Emirates Literature Festival. Importantly over the year, the average reading time, across children surveyed before and after, went from 6 minutes a year to nearly 6 minutes a day. Ultimately, this influence on culture by the Pop Up Books influenced a +15% pickup in WHSmith’s book sales.