“Do something more this year that would make ordinary people from all walks of life come to the Fair.”

This is an age when the joy of reading is replaced by viewing (on TV or Live Streaming) and sharing (on Social Media? Hardly anyone reads, leave alone visiting a book fair).

To arouse their curiosity, get them interested in books again, an off-beat advertising campaign was designed that included guerilla marketing techniques as ambient advertising. This was to catch people unaware at the unexpected places with communication.

A giant sized (8 ft. x 11 ft.) open book was installed at the Kashmere Gate and Rajiv Chowk Metro Stations. While the back side of the open books looks exactly like the cover of an open book with the title “Read and Revel in Yourself”, the inside holds a surprise: Two huge mirrors face the onlooker, revealing him/her with a caption on top that says: “Books reveal you to yourself. Come, explore yourself!” along with the logo of New Delhi World Book Fair.

It took 4 days to create the structure and one whole night to install them with the approval of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation.

While this imaginative advertising for NBT had created lots of interest among commoners, the unrelenting traffic at the Fair suggested that they were equally excited at books.