please read thissssss
Quintos.
Quintos is a fantastic second hand bookshop in central London on Charing cross road.
It's literally FULL of beautiful second hand books about ANYTHING and EVERYTHING you could ever think of, and can't.
(Waterstones has everything you can think of. Quintos has everything you can't)
When you go into a second hand bookshop you probably don't know what your looking for, or maybe you do. But either way you will more than likely find yourself wanting to buy a book you didn't go in for.
It's organised into sections of interest, but like any bookshop they get mixed up by people putting books back in the wrong place or they literally just crammed them anywhere there was space.
This allows for you to stumble upon books you would never usually look at, you never knew existed or think you would ever want.
This would NEVER happen on amazon - you generally go on Amazon knowing what you want and it reccommends you books similar to it, or ones people who have bought that book before have also bought. Kinda like a bubble.
But you need to look in other places for NEW inspiration.
These books you stumble upon could inspire you, provide a new interest, reminds you of someone, or somewhere,jog your memory, change your opinion about somthing or someone, teach you somthing new, or they may simply look cute and you want to frame the front cover.
It's like a cave of undiscovered treasures.
Another thing that is unique about second hand bookshops is the fact someone else owned it before you.
The best bit about getting a second hand book is always (for us) is thinking about the
story around the book. Seeing if anyones written anything in the front, or made notes, or left a coffee ring.
Under what circumstances was the book recieved? Was it a present? A prize? An appology?
When did they get it? What was the world like at the time they read it?
We also love imagining what the person was like, what did they look like? Did they like the book?
How did it affect their life? What did it mean to them?
Were they the only people who have read it? Is it 3rd, 4th, 5th hand?
Another thing about Quintos is it completely re-stocks every month.
So once it's gone it's gone.
You have to buy the book there and then. It's a risk you just can't take.
Someone will buy it, you probably won't find it again, there isn't any other copies (only very very few are actually still in print) or it will have been re-stocked.
The books are completely unique and - sorry to sound cheesy but a once in a life-time opportunity.
(Trust me, I wanted to buy this weird little magazine, but i stupidly thought ah it's ok i'll get it next time. wrong. It obviously had gone - but it's fine I got another cute one).
The best bit about this magazine is it actually SMELLS of custard powder. SCHPOOKAYYYYYYYYY
We feel it's a bit like
going into Quintos is FATE.
You were meant to find that book and it changes you in some way which will somehow steer your future.
But, you have to take the chance and actually go in, or you will never know what you could be missing out on.
People who go into Quintos at the minute are either regulars, tourists (because of the location), peope who are really into books anyway, or just passers by.
The people in the shop vary, somtimes they know exactly what they're looking for and ask for it, but usually people just browse and see what they find.
Some people have a quick browse around whilst others spend literally hours.
Theres no way in hell you could go in and not want to pick up a book and leaf through primarlily just because of the way it looks. Then you see another and another and another you want to touch and look at. It's quite addictive.
Then you want to buy them all - a problem we had (so we collectively bought 4 books).
When you go in Quintos you IMPULSE BUY
When we were standing outside watching people go past, we noticed a hell of a lot of people stare at it as they walk past, or stop and look in the window for a short while before then walking off. It's hard not to it's a pretty stand out shop. But they don't go IN.
WHY?
Are they intimidated? - It's really nice and homely I guess in there and the staff are nice.
Or maybe they think that they won't find anything that they will find interesting.
But the thing is, theres no WAY you can't find anything that doesn't interest you, or you already know everything about, or read before, or just like the look of.
It's so weird, when you step into Quintos off the hideously busy and noisey Charing cross road, it's literally like you're in another world. It's quiet and homely, and kinda feels like you've gone back in time.
It feels like your not in London at all. It's so WEIRD.
Going into Quintos is an EXPERIENCE
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Issue
Second hand books are going out of business.
Charing Cross Road used to be full of them but now there's only a few. And we don't know how long they will last.
This is because of things like Amazon, the kindle and google books. (Even Borders has closed down)
And the fact everyone walks past.
Insight
Quintos is an experience that provides you with new fresh brain food. Things that might inspire you or change your life.
You find yourself wanting to buy a book you didn't go in for, you never knew existed or think you would ever want.
You have to go in thought to be in with a chance of that happening (fate)
Singleminded proposition
THE DELIGHT OF HAPPENSTANCE
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We want to just drive people TO the shop, as you will
more than likely buy something in there. TRUST ME.
And bring about overall awareness of its existence.
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SOOO
executionsss
They have to be CHEAP
They already have a blog
http://quintobookshop.co.uk/
a twitter
http://twitter.com/#!/QuintoBookshop
and a facebook
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Quinto-Francis-Edwards-Bookshops/129666370404404?v=wall&sk=wall#!/pages/Quinto-Francis-Edwards-Bookshops/129666370404404?sk=wall
but are all pretty dire.
They just tell you they are changing stock.
Which yes is handy, but they don't give you any reason to go to Quintos.
££££££££ CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP ££££££££££££££
VERY CHEAP
virals
cheap ambient
better use of social media (facebook, twitter)
Tone of voice
- quite matter of fact, like - this is what might happen if you go in, this is what happened to so and so because they went in and your loss if you don't.
Target Audience
- Passers by, people who are kinda into books but could be more, optimists, people who appreciate good quality and the way the books look, people who appreciate new inspiration, like to learn and will experiment looking to new and varied sources for inspiration.
People who find what we mentioned above fascinating (fate, story around books etc)
videos
We decided to play on the story around the book.
But more about
what affect the book will have on you if you buy it.
The Butterfly effect going into Quintos has on your life. How it can all go a bit mad. Makes it life more exciting.
We wanted to get in the elements of popping in by chance, the unexpected may happen (find a new passion), the time you end up spending in there choosing, the impulse buying, chance and fate.
Ideally these would be tv but as they haven't much
money we thought the videos could go on their
blog/website ,make them a youtube channel or on
STUMBLEUPON.com
video 1 - Barbara found her toyboy.
This video says Barbara popped in to Quintos to ask directions - whats that she popped in by CHANCE
deliberating between 2 books for half an hour - this is what happened to me
before impulse buying another - then I bought something completely different just before I paid. So this was drawing on experience.
caught the eye of a tourist - a lot of people in there already because of the area
then it goes on to make up an elaborate story of what happened because of it.
We chose to use youtube clips for one of them: one because of cost, and two: to try and get the sense madness and how removed from the situation you end up. If that makes sense.
video 2 - Tom misses out on a wife with a beard
if tom goes into quinto he'll find a book and says a elaborate story about what happened because of it.
he lands a dream job, gets married and has the 'time of his life'
but he walks past.
this highlights you have to GO IN to be in with a chance of anything happening, because from observing a lot of people stand and look but never actually GO IN.
we decided to film this as if we were stood watching from across the street ... which we were... so it looks almost like a documetary, watching its subject.
we used a posh voice to try and suggest the demographic.
and the music... well it's about him joining the circus so... duh.
video 3 - Sam opts for dried fruit over friends
Sam discovered watercolours because he was dodging his old classmate - something we've all done I'm sure
discovered a new talent - and carries on the story about what happened because of this new found talent.
We filmed it from the point of view of Sam hiding.
The soundtrack is Simon & Garkfunkel 'hello darkness my old friend' incase you couldn't guess, again for obvious reasons, to reflect the story.
Ambient -
we want to get in this if you go into Quintos this could happen and this and this and
this.. or you could just carry on past and miss out.
This is an ambient piece to go on the floor outside Quintos - as we found a lot of people just stop, look at walk off.
Hopefully this might tempt you to go in.
We thought it could be a sticker or, more environmentally friendly, be jet washed
or use chalk
we made an AMBIENT BOOKMARK
We thought we could put a bookmark with a similar message (go in and blah blah or don't and miss out on what could have been) in cafes around the area, in the national gallery gift shop, even in books in rival stores.
Or put them in books and leave the books in the cafes.
ambient Leaflet
Meant to start quite small and fold out and out and out based on the thought such a small thing like going into Quintos could have such a big effect on your life. The butterfly effect goes on and on and on.
We thought they could again go in places like the National and in nearby cafes.
With the leaflet and bookmark it's meant so you stumble upon it. Like happenstance you've found it itself.
POSTER
We thought the poster could go up in nearby cafes and maybe fly post.
OR
We could stick it to the back of books and leave them in cafes around the area.
We thought you could make a poster where you tear away bits like this ...
But you can only tear away the part with a story caused by going to Quintos on it.
The poster would be in 2 halves. A and B (like below)
A would say something like
A go into quintos and blah blah
or B carry on bah blah and you can tear away the A part as a double of a business card with directions etc.
By leaving b with ' or you can carry on ever knowing' or something it makes you want to go even more.
BANNER
A small banner to go on websites like
Amazon and the Guardian.
You scroll along the banner and the story unfolds.
WEBSITE
If they had a bit more money they could maybe have a website like this
The story would start off with blahblah went into Quintos
and the first person would carry on the story
'where she found a book called dogs in wigs'
and email it on to their mate who would then carry it on
'she saw a dog in a blue wig which inspired her to get a blue rinse'
and they would email it on
'she liked it so much she made her husband get one'
you get the jist.
OR they could do it for free using status updates from facebook or tweets.
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We had another think and realised it's fucking RUFF what we did,
the art direction and the ideas were a bit naff.
We like the videos. apart from the second one, you can't really see tom walk past the shop and not go in.
We realised that they didn't look like they were from the same campaign at all - actually the art direction was all as ruff as each other so maybe. but anyway, we tried to make them all look different from each other so they looked like different styles of books, but it just looked too all over the show.
So we decided to try and re-art direct them all so they look actually half decent and like their from the same campaign. We decided we should keep the 'old book red' from the original banner and a similar font to try and tie them all together.
They are all to go in the same places though.
AMBIENT floor poster
Ok what the hell is that. first off the A and B should be the other
way around so the line is under the 'alternative situation'
it's a pretty busy street so like loads of people are always walking on it so you won't be able to see it that well, plus it's quite a lot of words to try and jetwash, they'd all bleed.
we thought that a
window sticker
might work better as its where a lot of people are (looking in the window - but not coming in) and it would be easier to read physically and you wouldn't get people walking into your butt whilst you stop to read it.
we based the art direction on this jane austen book cover because of the reference.
This is how we imagine it would look. So people looking in the window would read it and be enticed in...hopefully.
much better.
Next we decided to re-art direct this
ambient BOOKMARK
to go in cafes around the area - put them in books and leave the books in the cafes.
In the national gallery gift shop, even in books in rival stores.
we thought it would be really cool if a picture stuck out the top of the top of a book drawing the consumer in. so we tried to make it so the jousters from the story over the page.
believe it or not this was our inspiration
It's a bit hard to try and explain so i made it but in black and white.
so its cut along where m finger is
and folds in half
blank, maybe another half of a story?
It then goes around a page/s in a book
so when the book is closed and you come across it you see this
and hopefully think woah what the fuck is that
and open it and it has the story and Quintos on it.
cute right.
we tried to make it look a bit weird like some of the books, but apparently it looks like a 50s diner menu hahhaa.
we tried to use 'old book red and green' - but I think we just forgot ha, oopz.
so we tried again with a similar concept of trying to make it look like its poking out of the book.
We changed the story so it was a bit more interesing and made an illustration to fit onto the back, so its a 2 sided story. either go in and this could happen on carry on doing this and miss out on this.
Its meant to look embossed.
'booky'
we based our art direction on this bookmark
We think the other bookmark looks a bit more interesting. We'd definately pick up the first one. AHHH shit.
It doesn't really fit in with the campaign look-wise...but we could change it.
this one seems a bit normal. Which Quintos is not.
We also made this leaflet.
We don't really like this. The story just isn't that interesting. And like who picks up leaflets?
BORING. We think our other stuffs stronger. Maybe we could make it look like pages in a book, like an insert.
Maybe we could make one like this??? instead.and keep the book mark.
We also re-did the
banner
to fit with the art direction more.
It works in the same way where you scroll across. The black dot acting as a sense of time as well. to go on websites like Amazon, Waterstones, stumbleupon and the Guardian.
This weird illustration inspired us.
we scraped the poster and website.
ambient STICKERS
We had the idea of putting stickers on the esculator hand rail at Leister Sq, Charing Cross Rd, Tottenham Court Rd and Covent Garden tube stations (nearest ones - enticing them whilst their nearby)
You will have time to read it as you go up the esculators.
We wanted to say 'where you are standing now' to try and make it seem like it could
happen to THEM if they just went.
We again tried to make them look 'old booky'
and a bit like penguin
So that was our attempt at making relatively
cheap advertising for Quintos.
thank-you and goodnight
