Creative Execution

We created the first teaching font and called it the Microsoft Primer Font. Once this font is selected in any Microsoft Office document, it turns the desktop or laptop into an interactive English teaching device. To bring our idea alive and to explain how the font can be used, we created a video showing how a young office goer teaches young kids living in a slum community. We launched the font with this promotional video on World Volunteer Day. The budget for this project was minimal. Seeded videos and mentions in Social Media were used to spread the word.

Within a week, with no ad spend, the font was downloaded more than 2000 times. Mentions in forums, blogs and news sites gave the activity a life of its own. Journalists and bloggers started suggesting games and other ways of using the Microsoft Primer Font.

Microsoft Office was turning 25 in India. To celebrate the occasion they wanted us to explore ‘Office’ and its features and then involve their users in an activity that gives back to society and the country. For the underprivileged, breaking away from the cycle of poverty is easier if they are educated and know English. But poor schooling and untrained teachers are major roadblocks. And Microsoft Office users want to give back to society, but don’t know how. We created a tool that turns Microsoft Office users into English teachers. We created the first teaching font that can be installed (in a click) and turns Office documents into an interactive English Primer. Typing ‘A’ shows up as an Apple on the screen, ‘B’ is a Ball, and so on. Our idea turned privileged Office users into educators and underprivileged kids into employable members of society.