reading makes you, you

There’s a literacy crisis in the U.S. And it starts young.
According to the University of Florida, 64% of American children aren’t reading proficiently, and if they’re still behind by third grade, they’re four times more likely to drop out.

Our goal? Raise awareness around a free Scholastic + Univeristy of Florida program helping Florida kids get back on track.

We launched Reading Makes You, You — a multi-touchpoint campaign reminding parents, educators, and communities that reading isn’t just a skill.

It’s an identity-shaper. A future-maker. A non-negotiable.

The results:

• Over 3.7 million books delivered to Florida students across 199,000+ households.

• 90% of parents reported stronger reading confidence.

• 86% saw real improvement in their child’s reading skills.

• 83% said their kids were reading more at home, and over half of families said they were talking about books more often.

brought to life by a team that can, in fact, read:
agency: Edelman
gcds: Rodrigo Bistene & Katie Dropick
senior creatives: Laura Walsh & Nancy Zhu
producer: Lizzie Shook
account leads: Kyrsten Aspegren & Nikki Todd & Kate Linkous
directors: The Hudson Dusters, Greenpoint Pictures
music + SFX: Paola Altamirano & Raul Garcia, Animal Music
editing: Lorenzo Bombicci, Cosmo Street
color: Quinn Alvarez, Apache