A solution to phone limbo, the period of disconnection when transferring data from an old device to a new one, has been created by telco Belong with Howatson+Company.
Belong announced the appointment of Howatson+Company as its creative and media strategy agency of record less than three months ago.
The latest work is designed to be the world’s first offline online wormhole, channelling the joyful chaos of the internet into more than 100 pages of left-field content.
Belong CEO Jana Kotatko says the book transforms phone limbo into a joyful moment.
“If you have an embarrassing amount of photos on your phone like me, transferring everything over to a new device can be a time-consuming experience. With more than eight million new handsets purchased last year, it’s become a universal feeling,” Kotatko says.
The campaign is being rolled out through social, influencer, PR and paid media. Limited hard-copy editions of the book are available, with a digital edition and an audio edition available for those that can’t secure a physical copy.
The Book of Limbo was created in partnership with some of Australia’s best multimedia artists, including Andrew van der Westhuyzen and Indigenous artist Saltwater Dreamtime.
The original artworks were created using CGI, Illustration and the internet, via GAN (generative adversarial network) technologies.
Howatson+Company ECD Gavin Chimes says the book combines the wonders of the internet with a good book.
“There’s nothing like losing yourself in a good book. And there’s nothing like getting lost in the depths of an internet wormhole,” Chimes says.
“We’ve found a way to combine the two and bring joy to that period of nothingness when you’re stuck between two phones.”
The back page of every copy includes a free Belong mobile SIM card with $80 credit to use in Australia, enabling readers to re-enter the real internet after their new phone is set up.
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