In 1993,  Michael Bolton released a song, Said I Loved You… But I Lied. 

It was ripe fruit for a parody, with Bolton’s flowing golden tresses and ultra-earnest gazes, the horse galloping in slo-mo, the engulfing flames…But it became a hit single instead.

At last, the parody has been created, a spectacular parody by Emotive that has been put to good use for Audible.com.au

The must watch, LOL and share video includes a reworked title, Said I Read You … But I Lied, silk robes, classic throwback hair styles, sweeping Sydney Harbour views, a pet lizard…and slo-mo horses.

Bolton is joined by Aussies in cheeky roles – fitness guru, Tia-Clair Toomey, as a personal trainer, radio host, Brendan “Jonesey” Jones, as a security guard and comedian, Jordan Raskopoulos, as Bolton’s friend.

The musical send-up 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.

The branded content will run across TV, cinema, digital, social media and influencer channels, with M2M handling media buying and PR and talent amplification managed by Poem. There’s a competition, and a VIP performance in partnership with WSFM will be held for its winners and media at Sydney’s The Beresford Hotel to celebrate the launch. Bolton has also announced an upcoming Australian tour in June.

Bolton is not a newcomer to parody advertising. He also featured as Captain Jack Sparrow in an Emmy-nominated parody music video on Saturday Night Live. he also seems to have reimagined his career as an ad star, making commercials for Starbucks, Honda and Pizza Hut, among others. He also recently composed a retro-inspired Game of Thrones theme song.

Nor are Audible or Emotive. In 2017, the pair remade the Roxette classic Listen To Your Heart as Listen To Your Book, with Jordan Raskopoulos.

Tracey Markham, Audible Ltd. spokesperson, commented, “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.”

Matthew Gain, Head of Audible APAC, added,“ 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.”