Given the success of the first two Find Waldo Local campaigns in July 2012 and 2013, Candlewick Press and the American Booksellers Association have announced that they will partner for the third summer in a row to get out the “shop local” message, with a July 2014 Waldo scavenger hunt. This summer searchers will have someone new to look for as well – Woof, Waldo’s dog and best friend. Like Waldo, Woof wears a white cap with a red band, a red-and-white striped shirt, and glasses. The idea is for searchers to look for Waldo at various local businesses; Woof can only be found at a sponsoring bookstore.
The decision to bring back Find Waldo Local, which grew out of a similar event at Eight Cousins Bookstore in Falmouth, Mass., should be good news for stores like Barking Dog Books and Art in Marietta, Ohio, whose customers asked when the store will run the promotion again. “We have had a terrific response with adults and kids alike saying how much fun this has been,” co-owner Marianne Monaghan told PW last summer. “This has been different from other activities our small town does to promote shopping locally, because it really got people into the stores and taking a good look around. Many were surprised to see what our small locally owned stores offer.”
As in previous years, the number of participating ABA bookstores has been capped at 250. Online pre-registration opens on Wednesday January 22. This year’s event kit has been enhanced with a new mini standee for Woof, new prizes and activities, and prize buttons. The $1 off Waldo book coupons will have a longer redemption period, the entire summer, and can be given to all Waldo seekers.
