In Mexico, a common practice for TV and radio stations, print publications and most of mass media channels, is to integrate into their regular content some space to promote a brand. However, this is done in an obvious way and breaking the natural content.

This has made that the people reject any content generated by a brand, as they feel they are obviuosly trying to sell something to them.

However, social media is a new channel for the market to create branded content, that instead of being seen as intrusive, it is adopted and viralized by the people.

First, we created the Gandhi Bookstore's Instagram username: @librerias_gandhi

Then, we created written versions of the most popular and cliché photos in Instagram: The typical "Caramel Machiatto Venti shot" or the "Girl in her room, doing the duck face in front of a mirror" or even the classic "Spectacular sunset with a tree shadow in the back". All this in a written version.

Everything was done using the well-known brand graphic identity so people could instantly recognize the brand message.

The idea was covered by different blogs and media and then people started to create their own written photos. After seeing this reaction, we decided to invite them to form part of the campaign using the hashtag "#photosparaleer".

More than 10,000 photos used the hashtag within the first week and the best ones were chosen to be published in the brand's official Instagram account.

2,000 direct mailings were sent getting a response of 1,500. A response of 75% in just two months.