Audible.com.au launches branded content campaign with Michael Bolton via Emotive
Audiobook and audio entertainment provider Audible.com.au has launched a multi-channel integrated campaign, featuring legendary singer Michael Bolton and a humorous remake of his 1993 smash hit ‘Said I Loved You… But I Lied’ created and produced by Emotive.
The music video, which reworks the lyrics into ‘Said I Read You… But I Lied’ features silk robes, classic throwback hair styles, sweeping Sydney Harbour views and a pet lizard. The musical sendup reflects the growing trend of Australians listening to audiobooks in the same way they listen to music and was inspired by Audible.com.au research that found a number of Australians have lied about reading books.
Bolton is joined by several familiar Aussie faces in cheeky cameo roles such as fitness guru Tia-Clair Toomey as a personal trainer, radio host Brendan “Jonesey” Jones as a security guard, and comedian Jordan Raskopoulos as a friend Bolton visits.
The branded content will appear in multiple formats across TV, cinema, digital, social media and influencer channels, with M2M handling media buying and PR and talent amplification managed by Poem. A VIP performance in partnership with WSFM will be held for competition winners and media at Sydney’s The Beresford Hotel to celebrate the launch. Bolton has also announced an upcoming Australian tour in June.
Both Audible.com.au and Bolton have a history of combining music and comedy. Bolton featured as Captain Jack Sparrow in an Emmy-nominated parody music video on Saturday Night Live and recently composed a retro- inspired Game of Thrones theme song. In 2017 Audible.com.au and Emotive remade the Roxette classic ‘Listen To Your Heart’ into ‘Listen To Your Book’, also featuring Jordan Raskopoulos.
Says Tracey Markham, Audible Ltd. spokesperson: “Australians are busier than ever and have less time to get around to the things we love, like reading books. ‘Said I Read You… But I Lied’ shows that reading, unlike mullets, doesn’t have to be a thing of the past.”
Says Matthew Gain, head of Audible APAC: “We were shocked to discover so many Aussies would stretch the truth about the books they’ve read. From Sherlock Holmes to A Game of Thrones, Audible is here to relieve the pressure of unread books and transform gym or commuting time into a chance to conquer our reading lists.”
Says Bolton: “No one can deny the power of the spoken word, whether it’s a 90s classic or your favourite audiobook. I loved the idea of re-recording one of my hits with the aim of helping Audible.com.au inspire people to listen to more audiobooks – while having a huge amount of fun in the process.”
‘Said I Read You… But I Lied’ represents Audible.com.au’s fourth local campaign. In addition to Listen To Your Book, the brand also showcased how audio can help Grow Your Mind in late 2017 and previously partnered with The Equality Campaign to launch Listen To Love, an original audio series investigating equal love and voiced by local celebrities and everyday Australians.
Audible.com.au
Marketing Director – Sarah McConkey
Brand Manager – Melissa Gompes
Emotive
Creative, production and event management CEO – Simon Joyce
Business Director – Marshall Campbell
Music Partnerships Director – Aimee Stewart
Creative Director – Andrew Cameron
Director – Zane Pearson
Senior Producers – Tracey-Lee Permall & Cara Logue
Copywriters – Andrew Cameron, Nathan Burley & Henry Stafford
DOP – Andrew Howden
Editor – Uthayan Selvaraj
Composer – Eden Martin
Audio Engineer – Jorge Vivo
Sound Design – Rumble Studios
PR & talent amplification – Poem
Media – M2M
16 Comments
The ‘we haven’t got an idea, so we’ll call up all our contacts until we find a celebrity who’ll do it for the money, then write something around them’ approach that absolutely nobody seems to have worked out is Emotive’s sole creative solution.
Neither funny or good….just sad.
Epic fail. Zero charm or humour. Just an incredibly laboured gag with no reward.
horrific
That’s content for you folks…
The agency said it would be good. They lied…
why be so negative?
executed well. funny and probably reaching a target market that would sit through the whole thing.
nice one, guys.
This is just woeful beyond words. A naive client bought themselves a lethargic idea and a promise of “viral” success.
I wonder how the casting brief read for the girl who answered the door. She must have been pretty happy to land the roll.
…cause it’s shit.
Viral success by using a superstar from an era where his biggest fans are of the age that often struggles to figure out the internet at all, let alone making something go viral.
That said, they’re probably losing their sight by this point, so maybe the strategy is actually bang on.
Fuck off you hacks. It’s a bit of fun. Light hearted, memorable, simple, clean benefit and message…
The state of advertising around town at the moment makes me genuinely worry for the future of mankind but this is actually worth watching.
Before you say I work at the agency – I don’t. I’ve also probably judged more shows than you’ve won awards – so my opinion does count.
Good work.
The only target audience that exists is middle class Sury Hills millenials…
I wonder if anyone has ever watched it til the end, I certainly couldn’t, especially seeing as it gives the ‘gag’ away with the super at the start.
…you need to put the punchline at the end.
And why did this need to be 2min 30s?
I’m a huge Michael Bolton fan