Kobo is in the midst of a new campaign for its latest e-reader, the Kobo Aura HD, marking the first major release of Kobo creative by John St. since the agency won the account as agency of record in December 2012.
In one TV spot, actors are so engrossed with reading their Kobo e-readers that they ignore the action happening around them, including a house fire, a street festival and a crowded bus. The spot ends with the campaign slogan, “For those who love reading above all else.”
The spot is meant to reflect e-book owners’ passion for reading, according to Wayne White, executive vice-president and general manager of Kobo. The brand chose to focus the campaign on reader passion after internal research revealed on average its customers use their e-readers every day and consider it a part of their daily lives, explained White.
“That passion and commitment to reading, how [customers] think about their interaction with books and Kobo e-readers led us to create something to speak to readers and say ‘Kobo understands you in a way others don’t,'” White said.
The campaign also includes OOH, online and print ads and a second Mother’s Day spot that John St. initially pitched to Kobo during the review for the account. In the spot a series of children read to their mothers, followed by the line, “She gave you the gift of reading. This Mother’s Day, give it back.”
Both spots were first shown at the London Book Fair in England last month, where the company held the global launch for the Kobo Aura HD. The campaign is running in all 13 markets in which Kobo e-readers are sold, with major pushes in Canada, the United States, Italy, Australia and Brazil.
Initiative handled the media buy for the campaign. TV ads will run on CTV, CBC, Global, CityTV, Food Network while print ads will run in commuter papers. The online ads will appears on video and display networks and Facebook.
