New campaign uses subway platform screens to drive book launch
August 6, 2008 by Dave Haynes
The guys over at OneStop Media Group have, for some time now, been pushing the envelope on the sorts of content they run on screens hanging on many of the platforms of Toronto’s subway platform.
Through a partnership, they have run film and video shorts, and photos, on the 200 or so screens on the network.
Now they have stepped it up by running working with the partner, and a publishing house, to launch a new book.
This ground-breaking promotion, says a news release, launches Toronto-based author Andrew Pyper’s new book THE KILLING CIRCLE (available in stores August 5), and runs August 5 – August 15. Three 1-minute videos were produced by artist Leslie Loksi Chan, specifically for the Onestop TTC Network and reference different parts of the book; part 1 will air for the first three days; part 2 for the following three days; part 3 for the remaining three days; and all three will replay sequentially for the last two days. The videos include a push to enter to win a copy of the book online, where the videos can also be viewed on demand.
This type of digital book promotion is unique. Lisa Charters, Vice President, Director, Online Sales and Marketing at RHC, explains, “In a world where it has become almost impossible to get a video to the surface of online properties such as YouTube, Random House of Canada is always looking for innovative and measurable ways to get more eyeballs on its books. Reading and riding the TTC go hand and hand. Combine that with the fact that Andrew Pyper is a Toronto author and the setting of his new book The Killing Circle is Toronto, makes this a perfect environment and medium for the launch of the book.”
Michael Girgis, President of ONESTOP Media Group says, “This is a fantastic example of what unique opportunities exist with Out-of-home Digital. Random House of Canada has tapped into a massive hyper-targeted captive audience and discovered an engaging way to promote books, while A4C has discovered yet another way of weaving more art-inspired content to our viewers’ daily commute.”
This collaboration crosses many boundaries to bring together two unique talents. Leslie Chan’s elegant and haunting series of videos are inspired by the complex layers of literary intrigue that make Andrew Pyper’s novel THE KILLING CIRCLE so remarkable.
Sharon Switzer, Executive Director/Curator of A4C says, “We are excited to be opening up a new avenue for the production of public art through our work with Random House of Canada and Onestop Media Group. With this initiative, we are helping forge unique and inspirational relationships with the visual arts community. We are very happy to be able to offer commuters these exceptional, book inspired videos.”
I haven’t seen the creative, but assume it is good. As noted in the past, anyone who goes beyond the usual news headlines and weather stuff and actually does something interesting on their screens — editorial or ad-drive — should be applauded.
We done, guys.
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