Amazon love a good selfie!

Just as people are jetting off all around the world in search of their piece of the sun, Amazon have launched their #haveKINDLEwillTRAVEL advertising campaign in the UK. Rather than just capitalising on the "catching up on some reading" fever which infects many a holidaymaker; Amazon are promoting the Kindle as the ideal companion for the modern globe trotter. The kindle is being advertised as the essential accessory for the hipster's travelling kit, and in an attempt to paint this picture, the ads feature subjects who clearly subscribe to this in-vogue bohemian lifestyle. The broadsheet newspaper ad features a young mum and toddler reading a kindle as they travel around South America in a camper van (I don't think you can get more hipster than that!). Or you may have seen the posters dotted around London's underground. These  show a young girl a stones throw away from the minarets of Istanbul rocking oversized headphones, ripped skinny jeans, and oh, of course her kindle. The message is a simple, yet convincing one. You too can be as cool as these guys. All you need is a kindle. 

The use of organic, real-life photos in these adverts and their 'too cool for school' subjects, are not the essence of this campaign's brilliance. It is Amazon's use of social media. Amazon want you and I to spread the message and help them to convince our peers that travelling without a Kindle is like travelling without a passport. It can't be done! A lot of companies are only just coming round to the idea of using twitter to get people involved in their campaigns, let alone Instagram! However, the online retail company is truly tech savvy and is fully embracing the reach that the photo-based social network has. Using the handle @AmazonKindle, Amazon are posting images of the kindle taking in the sights in different locations around the world. At the same time they are encouraging Kindle owners to post their ‘Kindle travel’ pics using the hashtag #haveKINDLEwillTRAVEL. The company who realised that they could out price highstreet retailers by going online, have also cottoned on that social media is also a money saver. Inviting your paying customers to spread your message is not only cost effective, but due to social media's global reach, a domestic message such as this has the chance to go international. Looks like Amazon might be onto something ;)