The Phone Book
Odido
TBWA\NEBOKO
The Challenge
Research shows that the key to changing children’s reading habits is creating great reading experiences. The question is: how? School libraries are already filled with fantastic books waiting to be read.
TBWA\NEBOKO discovered that the solution wasn’t in writing better stories, but in rethinking the traditional idea of a “book.”
The Solution
TBWA\NEBOKO created The Phone Book—the first book designed to steal screen time. It features a story told entirely through phone messages, crafted to look and feel just like a real phone.
They teamed up with Marjon Hoffman, one of the Netherlands’ most beloved children’s authors, to craft a story that unfolds entirely within a group chat—full of friends, drama, and all the craziness that comes with it.
Watch the Case Study
The Results
After launch, The Phone Book gained instant national attention from major news outlets, schools, and parents, generating 295,750 earned media impressions.
The response from school communities was overwhelmingly positive. Schools began ordering The Phone Book—which TBWA\NEBOKO distributed for free—resulting in a total of 55,000 books. That’s over 100 times more than the average Dutch book. Most importantly, kids loved it, leading to an additional 1.3 million hours of reading time.
Today, one in four primary schools in the Netherlands has multiple copies of The Phone Book available in their libraries, ensuring that it will continue making a positive impact on children’s lives for years to come.
