“Nhan Dan Newspaper’s interactive panorama on the Dien Bien Phu Victory is an example of world-class print innovation”

The 2024 Sustainability and Print Innovation Awards were presented by the World Printers Summit - the World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA). The awards brought together the most sustainable and innovative print products globally. It is the only competition of its kind dedicated to print media worldwide.

By integrating augmented reality (AR) technology with traditional print media, Nhan Dan Newspaper’s interactive panorama on the Dien Bien Phu Campaign was recognised for its excellence and appeal to younger audiences, showcasing a new direction in print journalism innovation.

Panorama supplement is an interesting case of innovation in print media

The 2024 Sustainability and Print Innovation Awards jury consisted of leading experts in the field. After reviewing the submitted products, judges selected Nhan Dan Newspaper’s interactive panorama on the Dien Bien Phu Campaign as the best product for young readers.

Journalist Thi Uyen from Nhan Dan Newspaper (in white Ao Dai), representing the team of the interactive panorama on the Dien Bien Phu Campaign project, receives the award from the WAN in Vienna (Austria) on October 8.

The “Best Product for Young Readers” category highlights topics of interest to young people, offering the ability to explain events and news in a clear and engaging way. This product can help the editorial team expand its readership in the future. Successful projects will receive international recognition, with the opportunity to be featured in global media.

According to the awards’ jury, this project is truly an example of innovation in world-class print media, meticulously designed with a focus on interaction with readers. The supplement provided an engaging historical journey for readers of all generations.

The judges offered special praise for Nhan Dan Newspaper's product, noting that this project is very unique and creative. It has successfully tackled an important mission of conveying history in a fresh and creative way, appealing to young readers. The newspaper’s spirit of connecting the younger generation with the past is indispensable.

One of the awards’ judges said by creatively integrating technological elements, and this product has garnered significant interest from the younger generation—Gen Z. This initiative should be seen as a benchmark for print media worldwide to follow.

Member of the Party Central Committee (PCC) and Deputy Head of the PCC’s Commission for Communications and Education, Le Quoc Minh, who is also Editor-in-Chief of Nhan Dan Newspaper and Chairman of the Vietnam Journalists’ Association and the leader of the panorama supplement on Dien Bien Phu Campaign project, pose for a photo with students who experienced the panorama at Nhan Dan Newspaper’s headquarters.

To create such a unique print media product, Nhan Dan Newspaper spent nearly six months developing content and compiling data about the Dien Bien Phu Victory. On May 7, 2024, Nhan Dan Newspaper published the "Dien Bien Phu Campaign" panorama supplement to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory. The key innovation of the supplement lies in its integration of augmented reality (AR) technology into traditional print media.

By cutting and assembling pieces from the supplement, readers can create a panorama picture up to 3.21 metres long and interact with it using augmented reality (AR) technology or scanning a QR code. This technology allows users to view a dynamic panorama in physical space.

The back of the supplement depicts the 56-day progression of the Dien Bien Phu Campaign. Each day is accompanied by a QR code linking to the special information site dienbienphu.nhandan.vn, a database about the Dien Bien Phu Campaign.

The breakthrough innovation of the "Dien Bien Phu Campaign" panorama supplement is the combination of augmented reality (AR) technology in traditional print media (Photo: THANH DAT).

To enhance interactive experiences, Nhan Dan Newspaper offered two options: scanning QR codes or using AR. The AR experience on mobile devices was chosen for tech-savvy readers.

Sensation of the panorama on the Dien Bien Phu Campaign

The panorama of the Dien Bien Phu Campaign created a significant sensation among young people within 15 days of its release. Over 300,000 copies were printed, which could not meet the readers' demand. This phenomenon was rare in the history of print media in Vietnam. The “panorama supplement” and "Nhan Dân Newspaper supplement" became trending topics on social media in May 2024. The Dien Bien Phu Campaign panorama successfully fulfilled its mission of explaining historical knowledge to young readers in an accessible and engaging manner through technology.

Readers queue up for long waits to obtain the panorama supplement.

Even ten days after launch, thousands of readers sent letters to the editorial office and messages via the fan page, hoping to receive the special supplement on May 7. Thanks to social funding, Nhan Dan Newspaper decided to print an additional 100,000 copies of the Dien Bien Phu Campaign panorama supplement to give away to readers nationwide. Young people lined up at the Newspaper’s headquarters at 71 Hang Trong Street and various Nhân Dân offices in 63 provinces and cities to get copies.

Many schools have used the panorama supplement from Nhan Dan Newspaper as a resource for history lessons. Numerous readers have used the supplement as props for wedding photos, murals, and collectables. In May 2024, the Lam Dong Provincial Department of Education and Training awarded the panorama supplement from Nhan Dan Newspaper as a prize for outstanding students during the 2023-2024 school year.

Nhan Dan Newspaper’s Editor-in-chief, Le Quoc Minh, said the supplement was found in 12 countries and 146 cities.

International guests are fascinated by the opportunity to experience and enjoy the Dien Bien Phu panorama.

Nhan Dan Newspaper’s Editor-in-chief, Le Quoc Minh, emphasised that the Dien Bien Phu Campaign panorama supplement has allowed readers to view impressive images and interact and read additional information about the Dien Bien Phu Campaign. This will give people a deeper understanding of the nation's glorious history and a vision for a brighter future.

"We recognise that this is an innovation effort, but it is also the responsibility of the leading Party newspaper of revolutionary journalism in Vietnam to publicise important events in the country. We believe that digitalisation does not necessarily mean abandoning print media. Instead, digitalisation is about adapting and transforming in line with digital trends", Minh said.

Winning an international journalism award is challenging, and achieving an award for print media innovation is even more difficult when compared to other press categories due to its traditional nature and limited scope.

Nhan Dan Newspaper’s Editor-in-chief, Le Quoc Minh

He also noted that winning an international journalism award is challenging, and achieving an award for print media innovation is even more difficult when compared to other press categories due to its traditional nature and limited scope. However, the recognition from international experts indicated that the special product from Nhan Dan Newspaper has succeeded in reaching a print readership that is becoming increasingly discerning and demanding high-quality content.

"This is a significant encouragement for those working for the Party newspaper, helping us gain confidence that if journalists prioritise serving the country and readers above all else and dare to innovate, no goal is too distant to achieve", Minh shared.