Audible Gets Delightfully Vintage to Pitch Audiobooks as Glamorous Vacations

Audiobooks have been soaring in popularity in recent years, with Deloitte expecting the global market to grow 25% in 2020 into a $3.5 billion industry. For many, they’ve also proven to be a much-needed distraction during this year’s Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns.

With its latest U.K. campaign, market leader Audible has spotted an opportunity in that escapism, especially with few people around the world going on holiday this summer—but definitely wishing they could get away after months of the same routines and anxieties.

The brand is positioning its service as the ultimate escape with a new campaign shot in a delightfully vintage style that emulates airline ads of the past.

If you can’t get away to the Florida Keys, Yucatan or French Riviera this year, why not let your imagination take a nice relaxing break to Ancient Greece? Or, if you’re really brave, you could pop over to Gilead (of The Handmaid’s Tale fame).

Or, if wizardry is more your vibe, why not take a trip to Hogwarts?

The campaign, by British agency Fold7, breaks on July 11 and features spots for radio and TV in U.K. markets.

“Fly Audible and travel the worlds,” a narrator says, “Listen up and settle up; we’ve thousands of destinations to explore.

“We need a creative shift in mood, and with summer plans shelved, it’s a good time to spread a little joy,” said Ryan Newey, founder and chief creative officer of Fold7. “Recasting Audible as the ideal travel partner for lockdown, transporting us to exciting and faraway literary destinations, we felt we could have some fun harkening back to an era when the advertising was as special as travel itself.”

Here’s how the radio iteration of the campaign sounds:

Adweek · Audible | Stopover Hogwarts

Radio ad invites listeners on a stopover at Hogwarts.

CREDITS:
Client: Matthew Parker, director brand marketing, Audible UK
Agency: Fold7
Founder and executive creative director: Ryan Newey
Creative team: David O’Brien and Chris Bennett
Producer: Max Di Nunno
Strategy director: Sarah Benson
Head of account management: Sarah Kay
Account director: Miles Woodford
Director: Mark Denton from Thomas Thomas
Producer: Trent Simpson from Thomas Thomas
Editor: Matthew Prickett from Cut & Run
Offline producer: Ruth Minkley fro, Cut & Run
Sound design: Mark Robson from 750 MPH
Post production: JAM VFX
VFX Producer: Evren Olgun-Knight
Colorist: Dave Ludlam
Flame artist: Mark Robinson
CG artist: Alessandro Mariotti.

Sara Spary

@saramayspary sara.spary@adweek.com Sara Spary is a freelance journalist based in London. She's been a reporter for eight years, covering advertising and consumer brands.