Penguin Throws a Tantrum
Copywriting, Art Direction, Strategy
Penguin’s had enough. Penguin Throws a Tantrum is a campaign that reimagines the role of reading by throwing a good ol’ tantrum. Things are about to get messy.
Penguin Throws a Tantrum is my offering for the 2021 D&AD brief. The reality is simple. Books are at risk, and there’s nothing that can be done. In just a few years, reading rates have declined significantly, up to 10%. Penguin has always been a champion of books and its values. Yet despite everything Penguin has seen people through – 86 years of wars, The Great Depression, a pandemic, revolutions, moon landings, the Internet, another pandemic – it seems that people just don’t read books like they used to. So Penguin’s had enough.
Presenting, Penguin Throws a Tantrum – a social media campaign aimed at encouraging reading… in a different kind of way. I exercised my art direction and copywriting muscle by creating a distinct tone and look for this alternative Penguin. With the 3 main Penguin colours, I created illustrations out of irregular, skewed lines, alluding to the off-kilter nature of the campaign. The copy is meant to be read as jilted and bitter, a tone I hope would capture the attention of Penguin’s audience. Brands never throw tantrums. Until they do.
Tantrum Tweets
Appealing to the humour of the target audience, the campaign starts with passive-aggressive tweeting, priming and catching the attention of the audience; at the same time showcasing the varied and versatile selection of books
The Penguin Anti-Book is a fake book meant for any practical, non-practical, decorative, even destructive needs you can think of. Besides, it's not like you were gonna read it anyway. The copy is short and concise, meant to be shown outdoors and on social media platforms
When buying a book
The campaign hijacks Penguin's existing website interface copy, swapping out previous pleasantries with sardonic, irritated comments about the books. Oh, and spoilers. Happy buying!
A novel, sarcastic and uncharacteristic guerrilla campaign, Penguin Throws a Tantrum injects humour and self-awareness in its execution, adopting the (dry) language of its target audience to make them pay attention. Penguin isn’t kidding. As the campaign develops from subtweeting to selling fake books, even hijacking its own interfaces, the true agenda will be revealed – Penguin Throws a Tantrum is a front for a collaboration with reading and learning partners to introduce a new way of reading. Starting with an apology
The apology
Yes, we threw a tantrum. We're sorry, but we promise it was worth it
Yes, we threw a tantrum. We're sorry, but we promise it was worth it
