Guardian News & Media begins new marketing campaign with nationwide book swap

It will be supported by an extensive media campaign created by Wieden & Kennedy, London, including digital, consumer press adverts, digital rail and underground advertising and promotion across guardian.co.uk, the Guardian and The Observer.

Chris Lawson, GNM's content, sales and marketing director, said: “We know our readers are passionate about books and we think this is a fun way for them to share in the enjoyment of reading. This is our first ever book swap and is a refreshing way of engaging with people using social media and to reach new audiences.”

As part of the campaign, thousands of books will be placed in a variety of locations in major UK cities, including some with messages from famous authors such as Carol Ann Duffy and Ian Rankin.

Readers will be given details through the Guardian book swap page and Twitter about where to find the books, and will be invited to upload images of them onto Flickr and write reviews on the Guardian's website. Readers of the Guardian and Observer are also encouraged to leave their favourite books and tweet about where they have left them.

As well as the book swap, the marketing campaign will include: a week of Le Carre audiobooks including Tinker Tailor Solider Spy and Our Kind of Traitor, acompetition to redesign the front cover of the children’s education edition of Lord of the Flies, a discount loyalty card to a selection of independent bookshops across the UK and an A5 guide to independent bookshops, a guide to children’s books and a week of children’s audiobooks, a guide on how to write fiction with contributions from Kate Mosse, Mark Billingham and Jill Dawson, and a collection of short stories.