Brief
DCSF and the National Year of Reading asked us to help them in their quest
to make 11-14 year old boys more enthusiastic about reading.
Solution
We wanted to show that reading isn't just about school, but the key
to social currency and being 'in the know'.
It was also important that the content could compete with the sort of
things the boys watched on Youtube.
'Get the knowledge you need. Read':
Every two weeks, the National Year of Reading set Garron (the presenter) a
dare. The first was to become a hip-hop video director and convince members
of the public they were performing in a real hip-hop music video. In the
second dare Garron attempted to sell a box of tat as priceless football
memorabilia. And for the final dare, Garron got a class to take part in the
latest fitness craze 'Animalcise'.
The boys were encouraged to read content and add information to his Youtube
page to help him complete the dares. This proved a good way to get boys to
read and contribute, in a fun rather than educational way.
