2022 Winners & Shortlists

Why is this work relevant for Integrated?

Sharjah Book Authority’s (SBA) ‘You’re into Books’ campaign was an effort rooted in the intention of triggering a society-wide change. It sought to change perceptions and create a ripple effect to encourage reading habits in the wider world. This campaign was the largest global cultural campaign of its kind that integrated various mediums to bring people from all walks of life closer to the literary treasures of books. It made a well-calculated and perspective oriented use of mediums, including newspapers, TVC, social media, billboards, digital, and influencers, to send across the right message with customised content for an inclusive conversation.

Background

Launched with the slogan, ‘If you’re into something, you’re into books’, the SBA’s campaign sought to bring about a paradigm shift in the popular perception that books are only for bookworms and intellectuals. It sought to challenge the notion that reading is a habit exclusive to a certain segment of people. The ‘You’re into Books’ campaign, which embraced every individual worldwide regardless of their age, race, ethnicity, cultural, or socioeconomic backgrounds, drove home an enduring universal message that whatever be it that triggers one’s interests or passions, there is a book out there to fuel their curiosity.

Describe the creative idea

The core creative foundation of the campaign touched upon some thoughtful ideas. No one is born with a book in their hands, but all 7.9 billion people in the world are in fact readers as the campaign tagline is self explanatory ‘If you’re into something, you’re into books’. The campaign was innovative, for it addressed people in their language, both figuratively and literally, in different dialects. The main challenge was to shift the dominant culture that doesn't propagate reading as a common habit, especially among the younger generation. In a world with information overflowing through various other sources than books, it is a common perception that books are only for thinkers, writers, or philosophers. But this SBA campaign said otherwise and proved it. On social media platforms for example, the campaign asked people to share their interests, and suggest books that suit them the best.

Describe the strategy

The campaign kicked off on August 15, 2021, with the major Arab and international cities waking up to a flood of books. We approached influencers and artists to re-establish the power a book holds and to share the campaign’s message in order to propel the engagement. We utilised all possible mediums, including newspapers, TVC, social media, billboards, digital, and influencers. The content for the messages was tailor made - shot in different locations across the world and in different languages to foster a connection between the campaign idea and the people across the world. The campaign not only involved social media influencers, but it made them a part of its core purpose. The participating influencers for example received a personalised package with books tailored to their interests. The campaign addressed generations, according to their interests, language, and age group, in order to effectively target and engage with our audience.

Describe the execution

The ‘into Books’ campaign was launched thoughtfully in various sections, handling its overarching goals step by step. The launch film that was shot in key locations across the world, presented people from different age groups, backgrounds, and interests. Following their passions, interests, and curiosities, the campaign concluded that everyone is united by one thing - books. Into yoga? Read Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Amelia and Emily Nagoski. The right book will help you manage emotions and minimise stress. Into football? Check The Mixer by Micheal Cox. The right book will help you delve deep into the story and development of the game. We used the same format in our execution, and interacted with people online and boosted engagement. We listened in on people’s interests on social media and guided them into finding the right book through multiple challenges and engaging posts.

List the results

Once the ‘You’re into Books’ campaign’s main film went live, our audience immediately interacted with the post, drawing over 1.4 million impressions in the first 24 hours. The campaign went viral on all social channels, and increased SBA’s Instagram fan-base with an approximate of 13700 followers, and drove book sales reaching approximately 300000 books worldwide as discounts were offered on multiple e-commerce platforms, like Amazon, StoryTell, Noon, etc. The message crossed borders, from Sharjah, to Cairo, reaching Paris, London, and New York City. And the impact was extended to Sharjah International Book Fair 2021, gathering more than 1.69 million visitors from 109 different nationalities. In terms of views, 15.7 million plus film views - 78.38 million plus impressions, $3 million plus earned media, 52 million plus users reached in 46 countries, 20 million plus engagement, 300000 plus books sold worldwide, and #1 trending topic on Twitter in the UAE.