An unsurprising result from Audible’s study is that 70% of Aussies love romance fiction, with ‘spicy romance’ sizzling in the top three subgenres. So Audible has joined forces with Emotive, Wavemaker, Eleven and Hello to bring a saucy, multi-sensory campaign to life, feeding fandom – literally.
Audible has teamed up with cult chicken brand Wingboy, fusing flavour, fiction and fandom, and turning the streets of Sydney into a celebration of romance at every spice level. Audible and Wingboy created a limited-edition menu inspired by BookTok conversations around romance ‘spice’ levels. For one weekend only, Sydneysiders were able to order the Audible x Wingboy heart-shaped Spicy Romance box in Wingboy’s 5 stores and on Uber Eats. Each box featured Wingboy’s famous chicken tenders paired with sensational sauces inspired by Audible’s hottest romance titles, curated to their preferred romance spice level. The Audible Spicy Romance boxes became the #1 sold product across the activation weekend at Darling Square, Randwick and Newtown.
Each box came with a menu detailing the audiobooks that inspired their sauces, from ‘mild’ romances like Pride & Prejudice, Great Big Beautiful Life and Red White & Royal Blue, to ‘spicy’ titles such as Fourth Wing, Misdirected and The Winning Formula to ‘Extra Spicy’, eg. The Other Brother, Wild Card and Deep End.
As an added surprise, each menu played a special audio message from iconic spicy romance audiobook narrator, Teddy Hamilton, and treated diners to three free months of Audible. One fan also won a year’s worth of Audible and Wingboy by sharing their spicy romance chicken box on social media.
Karen Appathurai Wiggins, head of regional content apac at Audible, commented, “Romance in audio is no longer a niche – it’s front and centre, and spicy romance in particular is reshaping conversations, culture, and how people talk about intimacy and connection. With platforms like BookTok driving huge trends in romance and spicy storytelling, Audible is perfectly placed to bring those conversations to life in audio – giving fans an even richer way to connect with stories and characters they love.
“This campaign taps into the cultural momentum around bold, expressive storytelling and highlights Audible’s dedication to growing a diverse library of cult favourites, compelling Audible Originals, and new voices shaping today’s listening culture, cementing Audible as the home of spicy romance.”
The spicy campaign was brought to life in a true village collaboration – Emotive (creative, production & Wingboy partnership), Wavemaker (media, incl. Uber Partnership), Eleven (PR), Hello (influencers & social) and the team at Audible.
Kat Topp, creative director at Emotive, commented, “This campaign fused flavour and fiction into a multisensory experience so hot it came with extra wet wipes. From tongue-in-cheek creative to sizzling visuals, and incredible talent like Maddy Macrae, Audible served up something fun, flirty, and deliciously in-step with culture.”
Credits:
Client: Audible
Associate Director, Brand and Content, Audible Australia: Pia McMorran
Corporate Communications Lead APAC Audible: Prudence Turnell
Influencer and Media Partnerships Manager Audible Australia: Georgia Lindley
Social Media Marketing Manager Audible Australia: Jayden Koulizakis
Creative Agency: Emotive
Business Director: Alison Daly
Senior Account Manager: Elisa Donato,
Creative Directors: Kat Topp & Paul Sharp
Head of Partnerships: Michelle Lomas
Senior Designer & Animator: Chris Cooper
Senior Producer: Michael Hollis
Director Hero Film & Stills: Mark Alston
Media: Wavemaker
Campaign Partner: Uber
Senior Client Partner, Uber Advertising: Lucy Lu
Partner Manager, Uber Advertising: Darragh Butler
PR: Eleven
Group Client Partner: Maggie Stergiopoulos
Business Director: Dagmara Bandura
Senior Business Manager: Rachael Cleary
Senior PR Consultant: Josh Camilleri
Social Agency: Hello
Account Director – Talent,: Danielle Currie
Account Director – Social: Samantha Crooks
Head of Talent & Social: Daniella Brenner
