Using Images to Sell Books: 1980’s Style January 22, 2014 – Posted in: graphic design

This 1985 ad for The Literary Guild book club was chosen for inclusion in The World Advertising Review for 1985. Designed by Foote Cone & Belding (FCB) this seemingly innocuous ad was actually one of the first to use multiple book imagery within a print listing of available titles. As the entry states: it is a common practice for book club ads to display a section of titles available to subscribers. Usually, and boringly, they are stuck…

Apple turns to ‘Dead Poets Society’ for latest iPad ad January 12, 2014 – Posted in: graphic design

[youtube]http://youtu.be/jiyIcz7wUH0[/youtube] The ad campaign is titled Your Verse and debuted during one of the NFL playoff games on Sunday. The audio is a voice over from the 1989 Peter Weir film, Dead Poets Society: We don’t read and write poetry because it’s cute. We read and write poetry, because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering — these are noble pursuits and necessary to…

“If every bookshop tells a story…” November 24, 2013 – Posted in: Bookselling / Collecting

Loving this ad placed by Unity Books in New Zealand in the literary magazine Sport 13 in the Spring of 1994. Published before e-commerce would forever change the business of bookselling, the ad reeks of independence, community and book love. via the New Zealand Electronic Text collection

“The Right Book Will Always Keep You Company” July 25, 2013 – Posted in: bookshops, graphic design, Uncategorized

Talk about curling up with a good book! The latest ad campaign for the Israeli bookstore chain Steimatzky wonders what it would be like to take your favorite literary character to bed with you. Good night… via Adrants, Bookstore Chain Helps You Sleep With Your Favorite Book Characters. h/t Book Riot

A healthier ‘Happy Meal’? June 25, 2013 – Posted in: book arts, Paper

Noted advertising agency Leo Burnett enlisted the magic of paper artist Helen Musselwhite to help with an ad campaign to promote reading and awareness of the natural world for McDonalds in the UK. Musselwhite created a stunning pair of intricately carved ”Happy Meal” boxes! For the reading box McDonalds partnered with DK Publishing and actually put a book inside the ‘Happy Meal” box. h/t DesignTAXI