You are viewing your 1 free article this month. Login to read more articles.
Campaign for Michelle Obama’s The Light We Carry lights up Marble Arch
Viking marked the publication of former First Lady Michelle Obama’s The Light We Carry by illuminating Marble Arch and Knightsbridge with her image yesterday (15th November).
As well as lighting up the London landmarks, Penguin General’s marketing campaign also saw an animation featuring snapshots from Michelle Obama’s personal archive, as featured in the book, broadcast above station platforms in the huge Waterloo motion advertising space.
According to the team the campaign will continue up to Christmas, with advertising across radio, social media and Spotify and a major print package with The Voice newspaper.
UK publicity broke at the weekend with an exclusive extract in the Guardian as a Saturday Magazine cover story, alongside an extract from the audiobook on the “Guardian Weekend” podcast.
British Vogue also shared an extract from the book, in print and online alongside an exclusive image. In an Instagram post, editor in chief Edward Enninful said: “The former first lady writes with her unmatchable ease and honesty about how to embrace your differences to stand out. Indispensable advice for us all.”
Penguin General also secured an interview with “BBC Breakfast” in a UK broadcast exclusive. The conversation with Naga Munchetty was promoted across the BBC, with reports on BBC Radio 4 Today, BBC Radio 5 Live and news bulletins across the network, including BBC Radio 1 and BBC London.
The interview is available as a standalone special on BBC iPlayer – “The Big Interview: Michelle Obama” – and on BBC Sounds as “5 Minutes On: Michelle Obama’s Life Lessons”. The Light We Carry will also be BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week in the week beginning 2nd January 2023.
The full line-up has also been announced for Penguin’s The Light We Carry mini festival at Waterstones, Piccadilly, London, in partnership with Dark Matter, a specialist marketing agency focused on reaching Black audiences and Black Ballad, the UK media platform aimed at Black women.
Dark Matter will take over the mezzanine floor of Waterstones Piccadilly on Sunday 27th November to curate a day-long programme of activities and pop-ups including: a floristry workshop with Shirley Blossoms, to create a bouquet featuring Michelle Obama’s favourite flowers; a book club session on The Light We Carry, hosted by Content Between the Covers; a writing workshop hosted by Black Ballad; kids’ craft activities with Woke Babies; a pop-up brow bar with Nails & Brows Mayfair founder and beauty expert, Sherrille Riley; and haircare advice from Afrocenchix.
A podcast recording with “Your Aunties Could Never” will take place in front of a live audience in the mezzanine café and music will be provided by a live set from DJ Venus Flytraxx.
At 4pm, activities move to Level 3 of Waterstones, where Black Ballad’s head of editorial, Jendella Benson, will lead a panel discussion on themes from The Light We Carry: “Looking to the year ahead with hope and resilience”. The panel will consist of Dawn Butler, MP for Brent Central; Olympic medallist Anyka Onoura; and Kai Collective founder Fisayo Longe. Full information can be found here.
