Kobo is looking to establish itself as the e-reader brand that understands readers with “Reader’s Passion,” a global campaign, as well as through a special campaign for Mother’s Day.

With media by Initiative and creative by its new AOR John St., the campaigns are targeted at adults, aged 25 to 55 with a slight female skew and rely on national TV ads that will air on conventional and specialty channels, including CBC, CTV and Food Network. The TV buys are supported by print ads in commuter papers as well as digital display and pre-roll ads.

Wayne White, executive vice president and general manager, Kobo, tells MiC that the Mother’s Day campaign was designed to play on the insight that it’s often mothers who spend the most time teaching their children to read, and urges consumers to return the gift of reading to them.

The “Reader’s Passion” campaign, meanwhile was built on the insight that reading is a part of many readers’ everyday lives, and the creative depicts readers who are so caught up in their e-readers that they don’t notice what’s happening around them.

Going forward, White says the “Reader’s Passion” campaign is meant to set the tone for the brand globally, and notes that it isn’t looking to be “all things to everyone,” but is instead focusing on a niche audience of consumers who love to read.

He adds that both campaigns feature a heavier investment in TV than usual for Kobo because the brand wanted to communicate a deeper story, particularly around the “Reader’s Passion” message.

While he was unable to share ad spend numbers from 2012, White says that Kobo will also invest more heavily in marketing in Canada in 2013, increasing spend by 300% over last year. He says the move is part of Kobo’s strategy to strengthen its presence in its home market while it builds a more cohesive global brand over the next few years.

The Mother’s Day campaign will run until May 12 while “Reader’s Passion” runs throughout the summer.

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