MAILBOOKS FOR GOOD

Gold Spike

Case Film

Presentation Board

TitleMAILBOOKS FOR GOOD
BrandRANDOM HOUSE / THE FOOTPATH LIBRARY
Product / ServiceMAILBOOKS FOR GOOD
CategoryA05. Publications
EntrantBMF Sydney, AUSTRALIA
Entrant Company BMF Sydney, AUSTRALIA
Advertising Agency BMF Sydney, AUSTRALIA

Credits

Name Company Position
Laura Sampedro BMF Sydney Executive Creative Director
Carlos Alija BMF Sydney Executive Creative Director
Sian Binder BMF Sydney Head Of Art
Simon Koay BMF Sydney Art Director
Tim Smith BMF Sydney Copywriter
Iva Madderom BMF Sydney Graphic Designer
Conor Bevan BMF Sydney Graphic Designer
Alex Caredes BMF Sydney Director Of Business Development
Brad Smith BMF Sydney Account Director
Alex MacArthur BMF Sydney Production Director

Brief Explanation

We had to make existing book buyers who already understand the value of literacy donate the books they purchase before they had become broken or old. We weren’t printing the books themselves, so the covers had to be flexible and able to work with any existing titles. Likewise we had to comply with existing postal regulations. The design had to be simple and appealing to shoppers while protecting the books on delivery and also feeling like a treasured gift to recipients.

The Brief

The Footpath Library is an Australian charity which shares the gift of literacy with the homeless by providing them with books. The books they provide are treated as gifts, and only those in good condition are used. We had to make it easier for existing new book buyers to protect and deliver their books to charity after they finished reading them.

How the final design was conceived

We created a new type of dust jacket and called it Mailbooks For Good. When readers have finished their books, they are instructed to flip the cover inside out, turning the book into a pre-paid, pre-addressed parcel. The parcels are then ready to send directly to the charity for distribution. Inspired by the charm of receiving presents in the mail, we took design cues from classic postal envelopes and gift wrap. We tested different stocks for their protective, tactile and aesthetic qualities.

Indication of how successful the outcome was in the market

Mailbooks For Good is already running in Sydney with a launch collection of five different adults and children’s titles by prominent Australian authors including Peter Fitzsimons, and the awarded Nick Earls and Stephen Dando-Collins. The dust jacket design is pending global patent. In partnership with Random House an international roll-out is planned for the near future. Mailbooks titles continue to outsell their regular counterparts.