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Library/Campaign/The Unburnable Book
Grade B20 sourcesHIS-00716

The Unburnable Book

Campaign · 2022 · Notable

50Editable slideCertificate

Atwood’s flamethrower video promoted a fireproof book that sold for $130,000.

Original · Penguin Random House / Rethink
The Unburnable Book: Margaret Atwood’s THE HANDMAID'S TALE
Muse by Clios
The single fireproof edition offered at Sotheby’s.
Sotheby’s / Penguin Random House
'The Handmaid's Tale' book on a bench surrounded by blames
ABC News / Associated Press
Margaret Atwood & PRH Fight Censorship With an “Unburnable” Edition of THE HANDMAID’S TALE
Penguin Random House
The Unburnable Book
Sotheby’s
Fireproof "Handmaid's Tale" edition is up for auction: A "symbol against censorship"
CBS News
'Unburnable' copy of Handmaid's Tale auctioned for $130,000
Associated Press / ClickOnDetroit
Created - Episode 48 | The ADCC
The Advertising & Design Club of Canada
The Unburnable Book: THE HANDMAID'S TALE | Biblioteket Sønderborg
Biblioteket Sønderborg
Penguin Random House | The Unburnable Book
The One Club for Creativity
Margaret Atwood Will Auction an ‘Unburnable’ Book | Kirkus Reviews
Kirkus Reviews

Spread Score

How it works
Reach71Contagion35Breadth50Velocity24Longevity5250

Numbers

Agency alternative: earned impressions, not additive
12B
Self-reported · Strategy Awards
Peak date
Week of May 24, 2022
May 23 ’22 to Week of May 24, 2022
Platforms
5
Started on YouTube
Origin
Stunt
Media & publishing

Mechanics

  • Real-world spectaclePrimary
  • Scarcity drop
  • Visible in use
  • Platform jump
  • Newsjacking

How it spread

Trace the origin

PRH and Rethink launched Atwood’s flamethrower video alongside a fireproof book at the PEN gala. Press and Reddit picked it up. The single edition sold for $130,000 for PEN America, and Atwood later discussed the stunt on Seth Meyers.

Dates use the stated precision; chart positions are date anchors.

Google searchesApr ’22JunAugDecMay ’23AugNovMay ’24OctMay ’25OctPeakYouTubeOpen webPressRedditAudio
YouTubeOpen webPressRedditAudio

11 more events on this chart

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Timeline (14)

  1. May 2022

    Penguin Random House seed · May 23 ’22

    PRH premiered a video of Margaret Atwood testing a fireproof Handmaid’s Tale with a flamethrower.[1][2][3]

    Open the first post ↗

  2. PEN America platform jump · May 23 ’22

    The fireproof edition was unveiled at PEN America’s Literary Gala in New York.[2][4]

    Margaret Atwood & PRH Fight Censorship With an “Unburnable” Edition of THE HANDMAID’S TALE

  3. Sotheby’s commercial · May 23 ’22

    Sotheby’s opened the auction for the single fireproof edition, with proceeds pledged to PEN America.[5][2]

    The Unburnable Book
Origin
Stunt
Sector
Media & publishing
Region
CA
Agency alternative: earned impressions, not additive
12B
Self-reported · Strategy Awards
Evidence
Grade B

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New cases, every week

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Google searchesApr ’22JunAugDecMay ’23AugNovMay ’24OctMay ’25OctPeakYouTubeOpen webPressRedditAudio
YouTubeOpen webPressRedditAudio

11 more events on this chart

Join free to see them

  1. May 2022

    Penguin Random House seed · May 23 ’22

    PRH premiered a video of Margaret Atwood testing a fireproof Handmaid’s Tale with a flamethrower.[1][2][3]

    Open the first post ↗

  2. PEN America platform jump · May 23 ’22

    The fireproof edition was unveiled at PEN America’s Literary Gala in New York.[2][4]

    Margaret Atwood & PRH Fight Censorship With an “Unburnable” Edition of THE HANDMAID’S TALE

  3. Sotheby’s commercial · May 23 ’22

    Sotheby’s opened the auction for the single fireproof edition, with proceeds pledged to PEN America.[5][2]

    The Unburnable Book

  1. press · May 23 ’22

  2. peak · Week of May 24, 2022

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Why it worked

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