DON’T LET HIM IN | LISA JEWELL
Challenge. Solution. Results.
80,000+ link clicks with an average 8% Click Through Rate.
2x more first-week sales than Lisa Jewell’s previous titles
160,000+ broadcast impressions across major breakfast TV shows including Good Morning Britain, This Morning, Lorraine, and ITVX Drama.
400,000+ YouTube impressions from targeted pre-roll campaigns
The Challenge
Penguin Random House UK approached us to create a series of compelling trailers to build excitement and drive pre-sales for Lisa Jewell’s latest crime thriller Don’t Let Him In. With the campaign spanning broadcast platforms including ITV1, ITVX, Netflix, and Prime Video, as well as social channels like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube, the content needed to stand out in a crowded space. The challenge was to craft cinematic assets that captured the suspense of Lisa Jewell’s story without revealing its secrets, while reflecting her distinct tone and appeal. Every frame had to spark intrigue, elevate visibility, and convert anticipation into measurable results. At Gunpowder House, that balance between artistry and strategy is where we thrive.
Our Solution
Our goal was clear: build buzz that translated into pre-sales momentum. To do that, we focused on the psychology of the target audience; readers drawn to intrigue, suspense, and mystery over overt violence. Each video was designed to engage that curiosity, teasing the book’s atmosphere rather than the plot. Through intention-led storytelling and emotionally resonant visuals, we captured the tension and tone of Lisa Jewell’s world while keeping its secrets intact. The result was a suite of cinematic assets that felt authentic to her voice, elevated the production value, and drove high engagement across platforms. The campaign not only sparked anticipation for the release but deepened audience connection to both the story and the author.
The Results
By combining creative vision with strategic execution, we delivered a suite of high-performing videos that became a powerful asset for the Penguin Random House UK marketing team. Grounded in a clear understanding of the brief, the book’s themes, and audience psychology, we efficiently produced nine platform-tailored deliverables across 16:9, 1:1, and 9:16 formats, all in a single day.
Our streamlined workflow enabled fast turnarounds, seamless communication, and delivery that met every deadline without compromise. The campaign’s impact was immediate.
The trailers didn’t just build momentum, they delivered it. Engagement soared, pre-release discussions grew, and Don’t Let Him In was firmly positioned as a must-read title well before launch. Our agile model, where clients work directly with the creative team, ensured every decision stayed aligned with the vision; efficient, effective, strategic, and results-led from start to finish.
“I loved working with Gunpowder House! They had such pro-activity, creativity and brilliant ideas on how to bring the pages of the book to life into a visual medium. Srishti especially was an incredibly great collaborator, with very quick replies, clear timelines and feedback. She took our vision and made it even better than we could possibly have imagined!”
Ania Gordon Head of Marketing Cornerstone, Penguin Random House UK
Why It Worked?
This campaign succeeded because it aligned strategy, storytelling, and audience psychology from the start. Penguin Random House UK’s goal was clear: build anticipation and drive pre-sales for Don’t Let Him In. At Gunpowder House, we translated that objective into a creative strategy that understood not just the story, but the audience behind it. Readers who crave intrigue, suspense, and emotional tension over shock or spectacle.
Every decision flowed from that insight. Our storytelling approach was intention-led, ensuring every visual element served a purpose: to tease, not tell; to spark curiosity, not revealing spoilers. We produced nine tailored deliverables across multiple platforms, ensuring the campaign met audiences where they were, in the formats they preferred.
Execution was streamlined and collaborative, with fast turnarounds, direct client communication, and absolute alignment between creative vision and marketing objectives. The result was work that didn’t just look cinematic, it performed. Engagement soared, anticipation built, and sales reflected the momentum.
