Audible and independent creative group Hello have released the hilarious and highly-anticipated ad campaign starring American actress and comedian Jennifer Coolidge.
From Coolidge cooling herself down in a fridge while listening to an audiobook, to arriving at checkout with no items in her trolley due to dropping them all on the floor instead, the videos show how consumed one can get when listening to an Audible audiobook.
The release follows B&T’s exclusive interview with Audible’s global head of brand media Polly Blenkinship and Hello CEO Sam Kelly to go behind the scenes of the campaign ahead of launch and discuss why Coolidge was chosen to front the work and their thinking around the stunt-first strategy.
At the centre of the campaign is the hero TVC, with Coolidge bringing her signature comic timing to a series of scenarios showing just how completely an audiobook can pull you out of the world around you.
The campaign also rolls out through supporting films including ‘Hot and Bothered’ and ‘Dropsies’, alongside creative promoting Audible’s $8.99 Standard Plan, with the work spanning TV, social, retail and OOH across Australia.
Last month, Audible and Hello secretly brought the Hollywood actor to Sydney, where she was filmed wandering Bondi with a bright orange trolley, headphones on and seemingly oblivious to the world around her.
What appeared to be a spontaneous celebrity sighting was in fact the opening move in a carefully orchestrated campaign designed to generate intrigue around the central creative idea before the brand revealed the wider work.
The after-film revealed that Coolidge had become so immersed in an audiobook while filming the Audible campaign that she walked off set, connecting the real-world stunt directly back to the advertising idea.
Now, that same idea forms the backbone of the paid campaign.
“The Bondi moment was designed to bring the idea of getting lost in an audiobook to life in the real world. Now we’re carrying that same idea into the paid media campaign, bringing the magic of getting lost in a great story to audiences across Australia,” Blenkinship told B&T.
The campaign represents the next stage of Audible and Hello’s integrated approach, with the stunt, earned media, creators, talent, social, consumer experience and paid advertising developed as parts of one campaign rather than standalone executions.
Hello CEO Sam Kelly said the work was designed around the belief that brands can create culturally relevant moments without sacrificing traditional advertising effectiveness.
“This was a bold idea enabled by bravery and shared ambition. For too long, we’ve been told brands can’t play meaningfully in culture, or that doing so comes at the expense of traditional advertising principles and marketing effectiveness. The truth is, you can have it all.”
The full Audible campaign is now live across TV, social, retail and OOH in Australia.
Credits
Client: Audible
Polly Blenkinship – Global Head of Brand Media & Australia Hub Lead
Pru Turnell – APAC Communications Lead
Alex Conomos – Director, Brand and Content Marketing
Sara McKeown – Director, Brand and Content Marketing
Jayden Koulizakis – Social Media Marketing Manager
Rhys Gower – Head of Media, APAC
Georgia Lindley – Influencer and Media Partnerships Manager
Riya Thakerar – AU Media Manager
Creative + integration: Hello
Sam Kelly – CEO & Partner
Caroline Berdayes – CFO & COO
Daniel Fryer – Executive Creative Director
Ben Stavert – Director of Social & Editorial
Josh Manning – Head of Strategy
Allex Conley – Head of Publicity
Olivia Watts – Head of Events
Seamus McShane – Head of Design
Mary Chbib – Head of Talent
Sunny Manadavadi – Client Lead
Xantre Macaraeg – Account Director
Carla Wong – Account Director
Gill Axia – Senior Account Manager
Alana Young – Senior Editor
Media Agency: Wavemaker
Hero Film Production: Somewhere Nowhere
Director – Josh Logue
Producer – Zac Warneford
2nd Unit Director – Finn Ashton
DOP – Simon Ozolins
Production Designer: Cloe Jouin
Wardrobe: Roma D’Arrietta
Casting: Wayward Casting
Editor: Lucas Vazquez & Jordan Swioklo
Colourist: Alina Bermingham
Online: Brad Smith
Sound: Electric Sheep Music
Roll-Out: Hello Create (internal studio)
