Addicted to screens. We hear that every day. Publicis Conseil continues the fight for reading of Fnac, France’s leading bookseller, with a new campaign aimed at making books as appealing as screens. Another addiction is possible creates a double meaning, delivering a simple and engaging message with a mission to promote reading as a modern, desirable, and emotional alternative. The campaign, shot by Ale Burset, twists the codes of screen addiction and surprises the audience, inviting everyone, young and adults, to rebalance their time in favour of reading.

The campaign comes just a few days before the release of the study, “Les jeunes Français et la lecture”, by the CNL (National Book Centre), which revealed that young people now spend on average only 19 minutes per day reading (compared to 3 hours and 11 minutes on screens); 1 in 3 young people aged 16 to 19 do not read at all; and 39% of French people feel that their reading time has decreased, the highest figure in the past ten years.

For Fnac, expressing a clear and distinctive point of view is a first step toward taking action and engaging the general public

“Reading is sometimes approached in a way that creates anxiety and stigmatises young people; yet we as adults also need to reconnect with the joy of reading and share it with younger generations. This out-of-home campaign is a starting point. It will unfold through many events and activations throughout the year. We want to bring the general public along with us in this committed and joyful movement,” stated Florence Lemetais, chief commercial and marketing officer at Fnac Darty.

“Fnac is the brand that fights for culture in France. And there is no fight more emblematic than reading among young people today. We have an entire generation that hasn’t yet realized that a good book can be even more addictive than a screen. And so much more powerful,” stated Marco Venturelli, CEO/CCO Publicis Conseil.

The campaign, running throughout France, is supported by a wide range of in-store and social media initiatives to extend and amplify its impact, including leading recommendations and selections for all age groups; author meet-and-greets and experiences for adults, teens, and young children; collaborations with content creators to reposition reading among young audiences; a partnership with Quotidien (newsletter sent to over 130,000 readers); amplifications around existing initiatives, such as the Prix Goncourt des Lycéens; and promotions to support purchasing power and encourage the second life of books: an additional 20% value from April 3 to 26 for all book buybacks through the Fnac Reprise service.