To promote reading and celebrate World Book Day, Brazilian book publisher L&PM Pocket created an innovative line of mini-books that had an unusual twist – the books doubled as free subway tickets in Sao Paulo. The campaign was part of a program to encourage more reading; on average, Brazilians read only two books/year, finding it hard to have the time to read. The solution: read while riding the subway.
The books were distributed in Sao Paulo subway stations and contained a built-in RFID card that could be read by subway turnstile scan systems. People picked from 10 different book genres, including cartoons, romance, poems, classics, and mysteries. Each book came charged with 10 free subway tickets. The books are also re-usable, capable of being recharged online and then given to another rider to enjoy. In all, more than 10,000 books were distributed and the program is expected to expand to additional cities in Brazil.
What are you reading on the subway?
Group Activities and Discussion Questions:
- Poll students: How much do they read? How much do they think people read in general?
- What are the obstacles to reading more books?
- Show the video: https://vimeo.com/agenciaafrica/ticketbooks
- Divide students into teams: Have team develop an innovative campaign related to a public service need such as reading, conservation, safety, or similar topic.
- Have each team present their campaign and debrief the exercise.
Source: Ad Age Daily, Creativity Online