Using Fairytale Heroes to Promote Reading

Literacy Foundation Ads

This poignant campaign from the Literacy Foundation for the tenth anniversary of 'The Gift of Reading' shows fallen fairytale heroes. Cinderella, Peter Pan, Little Red Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty, a dwarf, and Hansel (sans Gretel) are all in a hospital/assisted living center. Their drawn faces and empty stares are soulless and unnerving.

With a tag line "When you don't read, imagination disappears," the ads by Bleublancrouge channel the moment in 'Peter Pan' where Tinkerbell has been poisoned and can only be saved if people clap to show their belief in her.

Gaëtan Namouric, the executive vice president and creative director of Bleublancrouge, hammers home the campaign by emphasizing some of the more direct consequences of illiteracy as it pertains to the creative industry in the quote below.

For the print ad of Peter Pan, art director Frédéric Roux joined creative director Gaëtan Namouric. The television ad was directed by Jean-Michel Ravon with a team that included agency production coordinator Lisa Arduini, director of photography André Turpin, house production by La Fabrique d'Images, and post production by Buzz Images.

Fallen Fairytale Heroes
There is an opportunity to create innovative storytelling experiences that reimagine well-known fairytales and their characters in a new and compelling way.
Promoting Literacy
There is a growing trend in using creative and thought-provoking advertisements to raise awareness about literacy and its impact on imagination and creativity.
Storytelling Through Visuals
There is an opportunity to leverage powerful visual storytelling techniques to convey complex messages and evoke strong emotions in advertising campaigns.

Sectors Adopting This

Publishing and Entertainment
The publishing and entertainment industries can explore the use of fallen fairytale heroes and innovative storytelling to capture the attention and interest of readers, viewers, and consumers.
Education and Literacy
The education and literacy industry can adopt creative advertising strategies and campaigns to promote the importance of reading, imagination, and literacy skills.
Advertising and Marketing
The advertising and marketing industry can embrace visual storytelling techniques and emotive campaigns to effectively convey meaningful messages and engage audiences.
SCORE
5.8 out of 10
GENDER
10% Men90% Women
MARKETTop markets: North America, Europe, Asia
GENERATION
  • Gen Alpha
  • Gen Z (primary audience)
  • Millennial (primary audience)
  • Gen X (primary audience)
POPULARITY
Popularity 82%
Activity 84%
Freshness 8%

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