Bluey Book Reads

YouTube

BBC Studios Digital Brands, Ludo Studio

BBC Studios Digital Brands and Ludo Studio developed and delivered a digital-exclusive series, Bluey Book Reads, hosted on the official Bluey YouTube channel and Bluey website. The aim was to satisfy the need for content post TX of series 3 with digital-first series that leveraged our network of high-profile celebrity fans. The series pairs visuals from Bluey storybooks derived from the hit TV animation Bluey with bespoke animations and off-screen narration from global talent.



Our main objectives for the series were to encourage parents and children to spend quality time together and support a love for reading, whilst also leveraging our community of fans, as well as that of the talent, to increase engagement, views, driving growth, and hitting key revenue targets on AVOD.



Execution

Bluey Book Reads offers fans a new way to experience their favourite Bluey storybooks, which are based on some of the most popular episodes. The series launched in February 2024 with famous sisters and Australian pop royalty Kylie Minogue and Dannii Minogue reading Mini Bluey, a tale of self-discovery and sisterly love that sees Bluey hatch a plan to make her and Bingo more alike.



The 10-part series features an all-star line-up of celebrity readers, including: Hollywood star Eva Mendes; French actress and comedian Camille Cottin; American actor and comedian Jenna Fischer; Australian TV personality and conservationist Bindi Irwin and Olympic gold medal diver Tom Daley among others.



We used our digital portfolio to amplify the reach of the Bluey Book Reads and commissioned bespoke content to further celebrate the stories. Bindi Irwin helped our fans spot animals in her creek animal guide, Tom Daley showed off his crochet skills by crafting a Bluey hat, and Sewing Bee star Raph Dilhan crafted a Bluey book bag make for fans to follow along.



Results



Bluey Book Reads has already amassed over 72 million video views across multiple platforms and over 5 million interactions across social media. On the official Bluey YouTube channel alone, Bluey Book Reads has received over 24 million video views and a total watch time of 1 million hours. On the Bluey website, the dedicated landing page secured over 1.5 million page views to date!



Fans shared their delight and positive reviews of the series in the comments on Instagram and TikTok, often in relation to talent selection, to which great thought and consideration was given throughout the production process. For example, Bindi Irwin AND Bluey?? I’m in comfort heaven! Please have an episode with the Irwins!! [Bindi Irwin reading ‘The Creek’] or This is the crossover I never knew I needed. [Romesh Ranganathan reading ‘Easter’].



Supplementary, talent-led video content generated over 15 million views from fans across Instagram and TikTok, and served to further drive awareness and engagement.