WORK FOR GOOD CUT - ALTERNATIVE

The Bound Books Project - The Dawit Isaak Library
The Dawit Isaak Library

Shortlist

Title:	The Bound Books Project
Brand:	The Dawit Isaak Library
Product/Service:	The Dawit Isaak Library
Client:	The City of Malmö, Sweden
Entrant Company:	BBDO Nordics
Agency:	BBDO Nordics
Production Company:	BBDO Nordics
Editing Company:	BBDO Nordics
Creative Director:	Malin Wikerberg
Release Date:	2025-10-05
Duration:	02:00
Individual Credits:	Copywriter, Karan Nair
Individual Credits:	Craft Director: Oskar Ferm
Individual Credits:	PR Specialist: Hanna Sandström
Individual Credits:	Project Lead: Aicha Aboubacar
Individual Credits:	PR Lead: Linnea Nordström
Individual Credits:	Graphic Designer: Satany Doughouz
Individual Credits:	Graphic Designer: Natalia Zieba
Individual Credits:	Graphic Designer: Linda Engström
Individual Credits:	Graphic Designer: Emelie Eriksson
Individual Credits:	Photographer: Isabelle de Susini
Individual Credits:	Design Director: Andreas Silverblad
Individual Credits:	Client Director: Petter Dahlskog
Notes for Judging:	According to PEN International, book bans are surging across the globe. Political pressure, cultural polarization, organized challenge campaigns and policy changes result in thousands of books being removed from library shelves every year. This censorship restricts empathy, rewrites history, limits diverse perspectives, and silences marginalized voices. The Bound Books Project was created to build awareness for the Dawit Isaak Library and its fight against this rising censorship. To overcome the challenges of creating global impact with limited resources, the library produced a striking piece of protest art - a double-bound, unreadable book that turned censorship into a physical, visceral experience. By redesigning George Orwell’s 1984 and sealing all printed pages shut, the book highlighted the threat of rising authoritarianism in today’s world. To boost public discourse organically, copies of the book were made available to borrow for school and public libraries globally, sparking new conversations across geographies and generations. This circulation of the bound books through library networks ensure free speech will always be a part of the conversation. Crafted to provoke discomfort, anger and ultimately action, the book became a powerful advocacy tool for readers everywhere. Results: With just 20 limited-edition copies produced the Bound Books Project had a global impact. -The Swedish government has recommended the Dawit Isaak Library be transformed into a national library from a municipal one, bringing in millions in additional funding for banned books research. - Mentions of Dawit Isaak - the world's longest unlawfully detained journalist, The Dawit Isaak Library and The Bound Books Project went up by 271% during the campaign period. - Increase of 421% on the library's website compared to the same period the month before - The campaign cut across age groups, channels and languages with a total reach of 657 million. - An organic post received over a million views in under 24 hours on Instagram and TikTok. - 305 unique articles and news reports in media in 30 different countries. This resulted in building national and international awareness for the library as well as the Dawit Isaak Database of Censorship (DIDOC) and helping thousands access banned and censored literature from around the world.