Once Upon A Line
Campaign
2026
Overview
A collaborative, typography-led campaign where I directed the target audience research, brand naming, and initial conceptual strategy. The objective was to engineer a highly innovative digital experience that addresses evolving reading behaviours and redefines literature consumption for the modern commuter.
Issue
The strategic rollout of 5G and Wi-Fi across the Transport for London (TfL) underground network has radically disrupted commuter behaviour. Physical books are rapidly being replaced by passive digital distraction and doom-scrolling, causing passengers to lose out on the critical cognitive benefits, stress reduction, and mental escapism historically associated with transit reading.
Insight
Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP) is a digital reading technique that flashes text sequentially, one word at a time, in a fixed focal position. By eliminating the saccadic eye movements required to scan a traditional page, RSVP accelerates cognitive processing. Commuters utilising RSVP can read and comprehend text up to twice as fast as reading a printed book, making it the perfect tech-driven solution for a high-distraction transit environment.
Solution
Once Upon A Line - An integrated digital and environmental campaign that adapts Penguin Classics to fit the mobile habits of the modern commuter. By embedding RSVP technology seamlessly into the smartphone interface, the system transforms screen-time back into literary immersion. The visual execution pairs dynamic, high-impact typography with fluid motion design to capture attention within bustling station environments, seamlessly bridging the gap between classic heritage publishing and contemporary digital infrastructure.
Service
Campaign
Industry Partner
D&AD - Monotype & Penguin Books
