They look like real-life pulp classics - but they're actually part of a guerrilla marketing campaign created to promote a local bookstore.
These tattered-looking book covers look like the lost classics of vintage pulp literature. But they're actually part of a clever marketing campaign to promote Weller Book Works in Salt Lake City, the largest independent bookstore in Utah.
"The best tool to avoid zombification isn’t a shotgun. It’s the ability to learn, to think, to discern" - reads the accompanying copy to this fake cover design
The campaign was masterminded by leading Utah design agency Super Top Secret.
As well as creating a new logo, website, and series of print ads to generate awareness of the store and its new location, they carried out a guerrilla marketing campaign codenamed 'Operation Book Drop' - in which they left 878 free books littered around town, wrapped in seven custom-created covers.
The accompany cover to this design reads: "Imagine one person built of Plato, Einstein, Ghandi, the Founding Fathers and Jackie Chan. If you read, you can become that person."
The project was conceived and executed by Ryan Martindale (creative director), Jared Strain (design director), Tanner Capua (designer), Ryan Martindale (copywriter) and JD Hawkins (illustrator).
This design comes with the words: "Do you know that when you buy from locally owned businesses at least 70% more of the money you spend stays in the local economy?"
The only complaint we have is that we now want to read these imaginary books - somebody write them now!
You can see full details of the campaign, plus all seven of these awesome cover designs here.
