Penguin uses sex appeal to target men

Penguin Books is launching a consumer campaign telling men that if they read books they will appear more sexually attractive to women.

In an attempt to promote their books to 16- to 30-year-old men, the company is running a “sexy” poster campaign called “Are you good booking?” The poster ads are part of a larger promotional campaign.

Penguin publicity and marketing director Joanna Prior says: “The Good Booking campaign is about telling men that they can be more attractive to women if they pick up a book.”

The campaign will include public relations and online activity and will be rolled out on June 1.

This is the first time that the book publisher has exclusively targeted men, and follows research that says that more than 40 per cent of British males do not read books.

Penguin is also planning to tie-up with coffee chains such as Starbucks in an attempt to attract male readers who do not frequent book stores.

Prior says: “In the second phase of this campaign we would like to talk to potential partners to think of ways to promote reading among young men. Men are not walking into high street book storeas and we need to address that.”

Prior insists that no deals have been signed up with Starbucks to start selling Penguin books.

The Good Booking campaign will also include promotion of one book a month designed to appeal to young men.