Dictionaries are fairly utilitarian. Most people own one, and an old one at that. Some people appreciate them enough to collect them—like the guy who read through the entire Oxford English Dictionary in a year. Few people get excited over the release of a new edition.
I’m one of the few.
The American Heritage Dictionary released its Fifth Edition just yesterday—and did so with great élan.
There’s the interactive Web site, where visitors can upload a personal photo and some meaningful words to create a photographic word image that is included in its gallery. Mine is featured to the right, customized with some of my favorite verses from Romans 5.
Then there is the AHD Twitter frenzy. AHD is giving away one copy of its Fifth Edition each day to one lucky word lover who Tweets about the campaign using “an interesting word” and including the “@ahdictionary” Twitter handle and the “#youareyourwords” hashtag. (I. know.) If I receive one, I’ll be sure to let you all know.
These are tied together with a fantastic campaign titled “You Are Your Words.” Pop over to read my marketing analysis of AHD’s creative at Christ and Pop Culture:
Mixed Signals: The American Heritage Dictionary Says Words Still Matter
Enjoy!
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Mixed Signals is my weekly musing about marketing miscellany in advertising, branding, and messaging hosted each Thursday at Christ and Pop Culture.
