Reader’s Digest is taking it old school with the launch of an SMS campaign to alert subscribers to the magazine’s redesign.

Live with the January issue, readers will start to receive receive text messages with links to extra content like audio, video and digital offers, along with opportunities to enter sweepstakes or the Reader’s Digest Mobile Club.

The SMS campaign will also give advertisers another way to reach Readers Digest readers, with Geico, Nature’s Bounty, Collette Travel and Texas Tourism on board for the January issue.

As part of the Read Up redesign campaign, Reader’s Digest has taken digital billboard space at both Time Square and Grand Central to encourage passersby to text readup-  51684 – for a free digital download of the January 2014 issue.

The SMS channel was no doubt chosen because of the average age, and likely lower smartphone penetration, of the magazines audience. But the experience will be somewhat stunted if a text message with a link to online content reaches a feature phone user.

It is hoped this tech-savvy approach, created by Gold Mobile, will encourage a younger audience to read the magazine, which was first printed in 1922.