BBC Big Read

Client: BBC

Campaign: Pride and Prejudice Big Read Campaign

Brief:

To encourage people to vote / take part in the BBC's Big Read competition to ‘Find the nation’s favourite book’.

Target Audience:

• Everyone!
• Literature lovers
• Shoppers (all ages)

Campaign Description:

Link Communication's professional acting staff dressed as characters from one of the leading novels (Pride and Prejudice's Lord Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett), and handed out free copies of the book (which had stickers on the front detailing the competition), along with leaflets detailing each of the other novels in the competition, with details of how people could vote.

The activity was executed on busy shopping days, in historic market towns such as York, Leamington Spa, Bath and Chester, and timed to coincide with the final weekend of the much-publicised TV competition campaign.

Results:

• Over 10,000 leaflets and 4,000 copies of Pride and Prejudice were distributed over the activity locations.
• The costumes and street theatre enabled the teams of staff to speak with all passers-by and onlookers, to explain the basics of the BBC's Big Read as well as telling them how to vote.
• Local press coverage was achieved in each of the four towns where the activity was scheduled.
• Concourse owners in several cities such as York Train Station and premium shopping centre managers invited the teams inside to perform the activity - because they were so impressed by the promotion.
• Pride and Prejudice was voted the 2nd greatest book of all time, behind The Lord of the Rings.