Hudson Booksellers Campaign

In February 2015, the New York Times bestselling volume Crucial Conversations had sold two million copies. In hopes of pushing the number to 2.5 million copies sold by year end, VitalSmarts partnered with eighty-seven national airport Hudson Booksellers shops to launch a campaign targeting travelers. Posters to advertise the promotion needed to be quickly consumed and visually compelling. My target market was airport business travelers who were looking for a book to quickly purchase before boarding. The messaging of hiding under a paper bag in agony after too many crucial conversations gone wrong was humorous and irresistible. The quirky hand drawn doodles pulled the customer closer—close enough to grab a copy of the book.

The campaign resulted in a 27% elevation in sales in the Hudson shops over quarters two through four. Hudson sales, combined with the traditional book store and online sales, pushed the total over 2.5 million by the end of the year.