At the time tablets were cutting into the printed book market and many devoted readers were feeling threatened by mass market retailers and now, digital books. For over a decade Barnes & Noble, along with Amazon, had driven many beloved, local book shops out of business. With readers already suspicious of Barnes & Noble, an ad campaign betting away the last, positive remnants of their relationship with readers by chasing a technological gimmick seemed like a needless gamble and a wasted opportunity. Here was their chance to take a principled stand.
Working with MullenLowe on their new business pitch, our campaign, “Read Forever” emotionally aligned Barnes & Noble with the love of reading. By elevating the perspective beyond the momentary exhilaration of a product innovation we got to the heart of Barnes & Noble's true brand mission:
Barnes & Noble are not in the book business, they are in the reading business.
Under the banner of "Read Forever," what had started as a product ad became a cause, a bond with their customers. Barnes & Noble’s 600 brick and mortar locations would be reimagined as sanctuaries for readers. Long after the Nook had been surpassed by the next, big, exciting, book-like product innovation, Barnes & Noble would still stand for the love of reading.
