Penguin is encouraging families to share storytime together in a new and interactive way, no matter where they are in the world, with the launch of a new experimental app developed by BBH London.
The Storytime Hangout app for Google+ brings the classic Ladybird tale ‘Three Billy Goats Gruff’ to life by augmenting special masks over the video feed in Google Hangouts in order to put people at the heart of the storytelling experience, despite being in different locations.
“The experience of reading with children is so much more than just the text and the pictures on the page. It's the sound effects, the voices and the funny faces pulled when acting out a character that make it magical - and this app does that in a new and exciting way. While nothing will ever replace the act of snuggling up with a book and reading a story with a child, we're using technology to give it a twist, enabling it to happen at long-distances, and connecting stories and readers as Penguin has always done,” said Anna Rafferty, MD of Penguin Digital.
The app transforms children into storybook characters allowing them to act out the story while they read along with their parents with the text displayed on the screen.
Greg Titica, creative director at BBH, added: “Technology can be seen as the biggest enemy of modern days families, with every member glued to their own individual screen. Or technology can be seen as the most powerful tool, bringing every member of the family together.”