Barnes & Noble brings back the wonder of books for the holidays

Barnes & Noble is one of the few big commercial booksellers left, and its 2018 holiday campaign is bringing back the magic of reading with a poetic anthem spot and accompanying campaign.

After choosing Havas North America as its new ad agency, Barnes & Noble leaned on its vast collection of reading material and merchandise to prepare for a holiday push. The integrated holiday campaign launches 9 November and takes a differentiated storytelling approach to reach customers this shopping season.  

The ‘Nobody Knows Books Like We Do’ campaign is designed to highlight how the books, stories, and gifts that can be discovered at Barnes & Noble help shape the lives and imaginations of people across the country. The brand aims to inspire others to pick up books and discover meaning in their own lives.

The anthem spot smartly uses a rhyming approach to pay tribute to those who read and shop for books. It begins: “To spellbinders, pathfinders, to grand plan designers. To historians, Victorians, and all the Targaryens…through these doors wonder awaits” as it features the corresponding books, readers, and fans in the video.

The campaign leans on Harry Potter mania in several spots, highlighting the books and collectibles that make the series so popular.

The campaign also includes a collection of 15-second spots that celebrate the company’s 23,000 booksellers who make shopping at Barnes & Noble a one-of-a-kind experience, showing off their expertise in picking just the right book.

Barnes & Noble and Havas worked together to create the series of national TV spots and videos that highlight its stories, diverse merchandise, and community of booksellers and customers who make Barnes & Nobles a unique place to shop, explore, and hang out.

Community Films' Matt Smukler directed the ‘Anthem’ and ‘Spells’ 30-second commercials and the ‘Bookseller’ series of 15-second commercials.

See the spots by clicking on the Creative Works box below.