Strategist, Creative Director, Designer

Client:

Penguin Random House UK

Preen by Penguin x Calm Helping under 25s to swap scrolling time for book time

Collaborators:

background

Reading books is no longer our go-to activity

Under 25s face many challenges, balancing their physical and emotional health and relationships whilst starting their careers in a post-pandemic cost of living crisis. This population already engages in reading to an extent. They also commute to their work, universities and homes; however, they turn to social media and scrolling as a distraction. They want to swap social media and scrolling for books, but this can feel like a near-impossible task.

the problem

Anxiety and Addictive Algorithm

Taking the problem apart from a behavioural science perspective. I applied the Behaviour Change Wheel to perform a behavioural diagnosis. I found that whilst Gen Z had the opportunity to engage in reading. However, their capability and automatic motivation to swap from scrolling to reading are significantly and adversely affected by their high-stress levels. Stress acts on a physiological putting them into fight or flight mode which limits their ability to use their prefrontal cortex and take action that will benefit them in the long term and makes them fall prey to the algorithm. Psychologically, stress increases the perceived effort required to switch from reading to scrolling.

INSIGHT

Gen Z want to engage in healthier habits

It's safe to say this generation is overwhelmed, anxious and stressed. Simultaneously, this generation is unprecedented in its self-awareness and prioritisation of mental health and well-being. Self-care is important to this generation, and they recognise the damaging effects of scrolling. They want to switch from this unfulfilling activity to one that will improve their experience of life.

INSIGHT

I came up with the following conclusions

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Audience Research

AUDIENCE Research

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Our campaign

Preen by Penguin x Calm

Introducing Preen by Penguin in partnership with Calm.

Preen by Penguin will be an app informed by the latest in behavioural and cognitive science.

Having identified the detrimental affect of stress on young people's ability to interrupt the addictive pattern of scrolling, I wanted to introduce an element that would reduce this barrier and free up their capacity to change their behaviour. The Calm app will act as a buffer between their scrolling and reading behaviour, putting them in the ideal frame of mind to read. Recognising that scrolling is something occurs almost automatically when people commute, this app will apply restriction to interrupt this pattern. The app will fight the automaticity of social media apps by activating automatically when individuals enter the underground. This will be achieved through geo-framing or by an individual's use of their phone to pay for their journey. Once activated, the app disables all social media apps temporarily for the duration of the person's commute. The individual will be presented with a short meditation to relax them, after which the app will present them with the page they ended on in their previous session. Experiencing this relaxed state before reading will amplify and enhance the dopamine response associated with reading and create a positive feedback loop for this behaviour.

Preen will also integrate elements of incentivisation to keep users engaged an grow a community of readers. This will be done through rewarding reading streaks and time spent on the app with points or (Pen-Wins) that can be exchanged for more books, in-person books signings and events, as well as prizes. Individuals will have profiles that they can make public and leave reviews and recommendations of books they are reading for people to see, or even perform virtual book exchanges with strangers. They will have the option to present their Pen-Wins on their profiles, fostering friendly competition amongst this online community.

Preen will also incorporate motivational features. Recognising that we live in a heavily dynamic visual-based world which contrasts with the static nature of text. The app will use AI software like Dali or Midjourney to bring up a short vignette of what the character in the book will be doing in the next few lines after a reading session is ended. These vignettes will be presented to the user at various points during the day to further encourage their motivation and curiosity to read.

Preen by Penguin in partnership with Calm has ability to cater to young people's sincere desire to take care of themselves and cultivate their minds in a world which has hijacked their attention. Preen will intertwine the act of meditation and reading turning these acts into a ritual of self-care that they will effortlessly be able to engage with during their moments in transit.

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Comms: Preen by Penguin will be announced on social media. A powerful TV and social media advert will also be shown.

Advert: Escape the feed into something beautiful.

Act 1: We see a man sitting on his bed. The room is dark and his face, which paints an expression of unease, stands out, bathed in the blue light of his screen. He is doomsurfing. We see the news articles which foretell doom, vapid memes, and unrealised highlight reels on his screen.

Act 2: Slowly water fills his bedroom. Lightning flashes outside of his window. We cut to him on an ocean, his bed as a raft. A massive wave, tinged with the same sickly and artificial blue light of his screen looms and threateningly over him. It shows no signs of slowing down. It crashes over him. He sinks beneath the waves.

Act 3: When all hope seems lost, a splash, then a penguin flashes past him. The penguin turns and guides the man towards an island vaguely shaped like a book. Once on the safety of the island, the penguin affectionately interacts with the man. The man finds a tablet with the Preen app opened and headphones as he listens to the meditation and starts to read, the stormy weather subsides and is replaced with sunshine.

Text is shown on the last image- a helicopter shot of the man enjoying reading on the island.

The text reads 'Preen by Penguin in partnership with Calm. Escape the feed into something beautiful. Now available for download.'

Act 1: A typical birthing story. A black woman strains whilst giving birth.

Act 2: We hear the cry of a baby. We see tears being shed. Family holds each other.

Act 2: We hear the cry of a baby. We see tears being shed. Family holds each other.