Faber reveals stellar campaign for Emezi's superlead novel

Faber has unveiled the details of its marketing and publicity campaign for its summer superlead novel You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi.

The publisher will be partnering with Dark Matter, a marketing agency that focuses on campaigns that reach Black audiences, to host a free one-day event on 28th May. In collaboration with Brixton Village and Round Table Books, a curated space in the centre of Brixton Village will feature manicures and nail art inspired by the novel, while workshops, performances, a film screening and DJ sets will all take place.

Emezi will be interviewed in Vogue, Elle and Dua Lipa’s newsletter, while the novel will be serialised in Stylist and Bustle. The book will also be featured in Zoella’s Book Club, Pandora Sykes’ Book Club, Shado Magazine and Big Black Books. Emezi will be in conversation with Bolu Babalola for an exclusive virtual event on publication day, in partnership with Dark Matter and Round Table Books, and Islington’s BookBar will hold a nail bar event on 14th June to mark the novel as its Book of the Month. They will also appear on various podcasts over the summer.

Faber will also publish a Waterstones exclusive edition, with bonus content, and an edition for independent bookshops with bespoke sprayed edges.

The novel has already been optioned by Amazon Studios and “Black Panther” star Michael B Jordan’s production company Outlier Society, in a six-figure deal.

The digital marketing campaign launched in late autumn and mined the support of BookTok and Instagram. Main highlights included a cover reveal in partnership with Waterstones, and a pre-Christmas influencer mailing, delivering proofs in bespoke branded boxes. One of Faber’s biggest ever proof mailings followed, with hundreds of copies sent out at strategically timed moments, featuring love notes and Fool of Death-branded Love Heart sweets. Valentine’s Day activity included strategic advertising placed in The Bookseller and a private event for booksellers, in addition to trade and consumer-facing competitions.

Associate publisher Louisa Joyner said: “When you’re publishing one of Time’s Next Generation Leaders, coming up with campaigns that continue to set the bar for their publishing is no small task. The You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty strategy, featuring the one-day event in Brixton Village this weekend, is the apex of a year’s worth of cross-company collaboration. From the cover concept to the exclusive editions for Waterstones and independent bookshops, we aimed to honour the brilliance and joy of this stellar novel. Fool of Death sits at the core of our publishing and our aim is to celebrate it without mediating Akwaeke and their ever-growing audience.”

Other digital activity includes a partnership with beauty influencer Tammi Clarke, nail artist Pia Aldred and a finished copies mailing campaign with influencer marketing platform The Room, featuring custom-made nail decals and tote bags. 

Four-sheet outdoor advertising and a billboard in London Bridge featuring bookstagrammers’ endorsements have also been scheduled. 

Micallar Walker, c.e.o. and founder of Dark Matter, added: “It has been wonderful collaborating with Faber and Brixton Village to create an immersive experience that centres and celebrates Black romance. It’s incredibly exciting to create a campaign that will reach so many diverse readers, while shining a light on the Black and brown artists and creators involved in our one-day event. It will be a fantastic way to celebrate Akwaeke’s latest work.”