The Wild Detectives: Litbaits

Credits & Description:

Title: Litbaits
Agency: Dieste
Brand: The Wild Detectives
Country: USA
Entrant Company: Dieste, Dallas
Advertising Agency: Dieste, Dallas
Chief Creative Officer: Ciro Sarmiento (Dieste)
Associate Creative Director: Raúl Méndez (Dieste)
Head Of Art: Gustavo Zapata (Dieste)
Executive Producer: John Costello (Dieste)
Associate Creative Director: Marina Cuesta (Dieste)
Copywriter: Marta Matías (Dieste)
Art Director: Jesse Echevarría (Dieste)
Editor: Jason Vigue (Infinite Fiction)
Sound Engineer: Carlos González (Deaf Mule)
Digital Creative Director: Matías Jaramillo (Dieste)
Execution:
We launched the campaign on September 6, 2016, which coincided with National Read a Book day in the United States. We then created a series of Facebook posts that would redirect users to our client's existing (but dormant) Medium page. Each post had the entirety of a classic, copyright-free book for them to read. Each Facebook post was crafted to be as similar as possible as a typical clickbait post: a headline that left an information void that could only be filled by clicking, a sub-headline that further contributed to the informational void and an image that followed the visual cues of a clickbait article. The posts were then dark-promoted during the first week of the campaign and then seeded organically throughout the web.
Campaign Description:
The idea is simple: take classic works of literature and turn them into clickbait articles. We used the same well-known language typical of clickbait posts to create clickbait headlines based on the plots of famous classical books. The idea was to trick and troll people into clicking and reading a book rather than a useless article. We called the idea Litbaits, a combination of the word literature and clickbait. Once users clicked, they were taken to a Medium page where they could read an entire book.
Outcome:
After Litbaits was picked up by the media, the campaign's numbers sky-rocketed. The client's Medium page saw an increase of 14,000% in readership, our Facebook posts showed an increase of 150% in engagement compared to the previous month and we saw a 250% increase in Facebook followers. The campaign was showcased on over 125 news outlets from around the world including BBC, CNN, Mashable, Wired, PSFK, Adweek, Upworthy, MSN, AOL, as well as local coverage from ABC and NBC. It was shared by major publishing houses like Penguin Books and Random House Publishing as well as being covered by industry-related blogs and publications. All of this worldwide and local coverage was earned through a minimal media investment.
Strategy:
Although clickbait is almost universally hated, it works and not just on young people. People of all ages can't seem to resist the allure the information gap a clickbait creates. Which is why we decided to target people between the ages of 18 and up from the Dallas metro area. The idea to use clickbait on Facebook was not a coincidence, as Facebook is the platform where clickbait flourishes the most. So it was only natural that we use clickbait as a mechanism to get our campaign off the ground on Facebook.
Relevancy:
Litbaits was a campaign that was always aimed at generating awareness and PR buzz for our client. Litbaits is an idea that took a universally hated Internet tactic such as clickbait and turned it into a critically acclaimed source of entertainment people were happy and willing to interact with, calling it the first clickbait that doesn't leave you feeling mad. The campaign was published by almost every major news outlet in over 8 languages. Litbaits created a conversation around how brick and mortar bookstores can use creativity to remain relevant in this digital age. All with a minimal media budget.
Synopsis:
Brick and mortar bookstores have been in decline for quite some time now and The Wild Detectives Bookstore needed an idea to create awareness of their store. The brief was simple: we needed to create a campaign that gets people to read that would launch on National Read A Book Day. The objective wasn't sales but rather to create awareness of this brick and mortar bookstore in the heart of Dallas through the promotion of their main mission, which is getting people to read.

Facebook Awards 2017 Campaign Goals:
- Brand Awareness
- Local Awareness
- Engagement
Facebook Products Used:
- Image (Photo) Ad
- Promoted posts