The Book on Mullen

Mullen this week breaks ads to introduce the fourth edition of Houghton Mifflin’s American Heritage Dictionary, a publication the company deemed its most significant re-lease of the year. The budget is in the mid-seven figures.

Four conceptual color ads feature the headline, “Upgrade your language.” One ad contains a road sign that reads, “Slippery When Aqueous.” In another execution, a “Don’t Walk” sign reads “Don’t Ambulate.”

“If you look at all the advertising in the category, they’re black-and-white photos of dictionaries,” said Mullen group creative director Rob Rich, adding that most of Houghton Mifflin’s competitors, which include Oxford, Merriam Webster and Random House, focus on new words.