Goodnight Light children book transforms darkness into playful reading experience
Goodnight Light is a children’s book designed to change how young readers perceive darkness. Created by the energy company Plenitude, a Benefit Corporation controlled by Eni, the project titled Goodnight Light is an educational storytelling object developed with TBWA\Italia. The limited-edition book introduces a narrative and design concept that can only be experienced in darkness, combining publishing, visual storytelling, and energy awareness in a single interactive format.
The project addresses a widespread childhood fear. A 2025 DOXA study conducted in Italy, Spain, and France found that three out of four children between the ages of three and nine are afraid of the dark. The most common response within families is to leave a lamp on during the night, creating a routine that consumes electricity and often becomes difficult to change over time. Goodnight Light proposes an alternative approach by encouraging children to see darkness not as a threat but as an environment where imagination and curiosity can develop naturally.
Developed by TBWA\Italia, the book introduces a story about Lucilla, a young girl who forms an unexpected friendship with Ombro, a small and awkward creature representing darkness. The narrative becomes visible only when the lights are turned off. Printed using a special silkscreen technique with photosensitive pigments, the pages remain completely white in daylight while absorbing photons from surrounding light sources. Once darkness arrives, a luminescent varnish releases the stored light energy, allowing the illustrations and text to appear gradually across the pages.
Beyond its narrative function, Goodnight Light also operates as a design object. After finishing the story, the book can transform into a star-shaped bedside lamp that emits a soft glow. This feature extends the interaction with the object beyond reading, offering children a comforting visual presence during the night while maintaining the educational message behind the project. The transformation from book to lamp reinforces the idea that darkness does not require constant artificial lighting to feel safe.
Each copy also includes glow-in-the-dark stickers designed as visual reminders to reduce unnecessary electricity use. Children can place them near light switches or household appliances, turning everyday actions into playful rituals of awareness. Goodnight Light is distributed in selected Plenitude stores and bookstores across Italy, Spain, and France, forming part of a broader international campaign. The initiative is supported by a digital ecosystem created with EY+MC SAATCHI, including social media storytelling, interviews, vertical editorial content, and dedicated video material across platforms such as Instagram and TikTok.
All images courtesy of TBWA\Italia, shared with permission
- Agency: TBWA\Italia
- Production House: Rosso Film
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