CML Summer Reading Club Brand & Campaign Strategy - Columbus Metropolitan Library (CML)

In a year when CML needed to increase attendance and inspire more community involvement, Origo crafted the campaign strategy for CML’s Summer Reading Program, titled Be A Hero. Read., which exciting kids about enrolling in the program by showing how they could achieve their dreams through the power of reading.

The new brand included brand elements and marketing tactics that portrayed reading as a catalyst for positive change, which was demonstrated through a series of animated webisodes focused on the brand’s hero, Captain Read, solving challenges through the positive power of reading.

Origo helped implement brand visuals and graphics throughout the 21 branches of the library, creating recognition and excitement for the program. Furthermore, Origo recommended an online series where local celebrities and leaders from the community participated in social media videos, sharing their favorite books that inspired them to be who they are today.

By leveraging integrated social media strategies and other community outreach tactics, the campaign gained great recognition, helping to reach a record-breaking enrollment of 89,000 attendees (from the previous record of 69K participants).

The program was such a success, the library was also able to create an online series where notable champions from the community created videos talking about their favorite books that inspired them to be who they are today.

With such success from the campaign’s theme, Be A Hero. Read. is still used today and continues to generate exceptional enrollment in what is considered by some publications as the #1 library in the nation.