Go All In

The National Literacy Trust is unveiling the core creative for their “Go All In” campaign, running across the National Year of Reading 2026. The integrated campaign repositions reading from being a perceived chore to being a gateway that brings our existing passions to life.

Created by Fold7, the work is built on the “if you’re into it, read into it” strategic proposition that underpins Go All In. Brought to life in a hero film showing a young boy in a football shirt, with a voiceover asking him: “Into football?... You’re not really into it until you read into it.”

Suddenly the boy realises that there’s so much more to explore through reading around football – from discovering the latest transfer rumours and match statistics, to autobiographies by famous players.

His enthusiasm is matched by the other people we meet in the film, each of whom uses reading to get more out of their interests. These include a woman devoted to all things horror and a little girl who loves her dad’s funny voices when he reads to her at bedtime.

Directed and animated by Ewan Jones Morris using a stop-motion style and a collage effect, the spot shows viewers that reading doesn’t just have to be about books – it can be anything from comics and newspapers to graphic novels, audiobooks and other written content accessed via phones and tablets.

The same concept is carried through to OOH, digital, print and immersive radio spots.

Fold7’s “if you’re into it, read into it” strategy tackles the issue of reading falling out of step with culture, particularly among parents of young children and boys aged 10 to 16. It aims to reposition reading as a relevant, social and immediately rewarding activity.

David Hayman, Director of National Year of Reading, said: “Reading is vital, but right now too many people are switching off from it. Fold7’s strategy recognises that we won’t reignite that connection by lecturing people about its importance. Instead, this campaign shows how reading deepens the things we already love. It’s a powerful way to encourage new readers to embrace it, while reminding the rest of us of the joy and relevance it can bring to our lives.”

Dave Billing, Executive Creative Director at Fold7, said: “With this work, we wanted to show that reading is the ultimate plugin to your passions. Our stop motion, collage aesthetic in the ad isn’t just there to look pretty - it’s making an important point. Which is to demonstrate that books are just one of the many ways people can connect with reading. From comics, magazines, online articles, audiobooks and wikis, whatever helps you get even deeper into what you’re into through reading.”

The National Year of Reading 2026 is a Department for Education initiative delivered in collaboration with the National Literacy Trust as a response to the country’s reading crisis, with the National Literacy Trust’s Annual Literacy Survey showing that only one-third of children aged 8 to 18 say they enjoy reading in their spare time.

Fold7 was appointed by the National Literacy Trust last autumn on a wide-ranging brief including campaign and brand strategy, advertising creation, content and website design and build.

Fold7’s brand consultancy, Fold7Design, developed the ‘Go All In’ brand-mark and visual identity for the campaign. At the heart of it is the ‘Open Book’ – a portable visual device that brings the campaign thinking to life. It’s a symbol of depth and discovery, showing how reading can take you further into your passions than ever before.

The first advertising breaks across the UK in March with further bursts planned later in the year. It runs across print, outdoor, digital, radio, and cinema, with ongoing drumbeat activity. Media partners include Bloomberg, DCM, DC Thomson, Ocean Outdoor, Immediate, Spotify, Acast, Audible, YouTube, Meta and TikTok.