WHSmith – Pop Up Ads to Pop Up Books

WHSmith hijacked gaming ads on the phone to get kids to read books – Pop Up Books

An Arab child reads 6 minutes a year. To reverse declining book sales. WHSmith had to do more than promote books. They had to encourage the love of reading.

So to increase their love of reading, WHSmith entered the world they love – mobile games. These games have pop-up ads that cannot be closed, So they hijacked that space with Pop Up Books that they could read to close the ad.

They redesigned children’s books as short stories that fit within the world of games. The child had to read and pick the correct answer to close the ad and get rewards they could use in the game.

Result: They engaged 29% of children in the UAE (ages 7-1). 98% of the stories were read till the end, with 1.1 million completed views. They also received contributions from local and international authors at the Emirates Literature Festival.

Credits
Client: WHSmith
Media: Mobile, Branded Content
Tags: Interactive Ads