What do you do while you’re setting up your new phone? It’s agony realising that all your entertainment, news, memes and friends’ baby photos videos are out of bounds for…well, who knows how long?

That’s why Belong and Howatson+Company have launched The Book of Limbo. It’s offline. It’s like online – chaotic and left-of-field. There are facts about whale poop, reverse centaurs, the Queen’s hat collection and giant squids, for example? There’s also the entire edition of Alice in Wonderland printed over eight pages.

Jana Kotatko, chief executive officer, Belong, commented, “If you have an embarrassing amount of photos on your phone like me, transferring everything over to a new device can be a time-consuming experience. With more than 8 million new handsets purchased last year, it’s become a universal feeling. The Book of Limbo is our way of making phone limbo a joyful moment, while also sharing our love for all of the weird and wonderful content the internet has to offer.”

The Book of Limbo has been created with top Australian multimedia artists, such as Andrew van der Westhuyzen and indigenous artist, Saltwater Dreamtime. Its artworks were created using CGI, Illustration, and the internet itself, via GAN (generative adversarial network) technologies. The back page of every copy includes a free Belong mobile SIM card with $80 credit to use in Australia, so that readers can re-enter the real internet after their new phone is set up.

Gavin Chimes, executive creative director, Howatson+Company, stated, “There’s nothing like losing yourself in a good book. And there’s nothing like getting lost in the depths of an internet wormhole. We’ve found a way to combine the two and bring joy to that period of nothingness when you’re stuck between two phones.”

The limited-edition Book of Limbo is available to pre-order online at www.belong.com.au/bookoflimbo, with a digital edition and an audio edition being made available for those that can’t secure a physical copy.

Belong appointed Howatson+Company as its creative and media strategy agency of record three months ago. The agency’s first work for the telco was to launch Belong’s new fully integrated brand platform, It feels good to Belong, across brand communications, product, sim card packaging, website, UI/UX and staff collateral.

Credits:

Client: Belong

Creative & Media Strategy: Howatson+Company

Production Company, Book: Collider Studio
Founder & Creative Director: Andrew van der Westhuyzen
Creative Director & Strategist: Kåre Martens
CGI Artist: Hugh Carrick-Allan
Head of Studio Production: Hoss Ghonouie
Artist and Owner, Saltwater Dreamtime: Zac Bennett-Brook
Printing: Peachy Print
Director of Production: Bruce Cameron
Sales Director: Garry Gorman

Production Company, Films: Collider Studio
Music Composition & Audio Production, Films: Heckler Sound
PR: Clemenger PR
Media Trading and Buying: OMD