A few weeks ago, Jennifer Coolidge was spotted doing supermarket shopping at Bondi Beach, and then wheeling the bright orange trolley along Campbell Parade. Coolidge’s signature vagueness (including tossing her items across the trolley and onto the floor, and knocking chickens off a trolley) was amplified by being seemingly lost in what she was listening to in her headphones.

Turns out that the elaborate stunt was not a spontaneous celebrity sighting but the making of carefully orchestrated campaign by social agency, Hello, for Audible. The moment was seeded through a carefully architected mix of media and strategically selected creators, designed to spark a public stir, build real-world intrigue and subtly nod to the brand, before revealing what was, in fact, the beginning of a much bigger Audible campaign.

The stunt was never designed to exist in isolation, with a reveal film, consumer activation and campaign to follow. Audible has now released the tell-all ‘stunt after-film’, revealing how Coolidge walked off set after becoming lost in an audiobook while filming the Audible Australia brand campaign.

The after-film connects the intrigue of the earned sighting with the launch of the broader campaign, revealing the Bondi moment as the opening chapter of a much bigger idea.

Audible global head of brand media and Australia hub lead, Polly Blenkinship, stated, “We’ve been overwhelmed by the fandom and attention generated around the world. The creative concept really allows Jen to be Jen, and like Audible, she has this incredible ability to connect with so many different audiences. She’s funny, warm and authentic, with the ability to make people stop and pay attention. With the stunt we were able to earn fame first, then amplify that momentum through content and media investment to maximise reach and effectiveness.”

With the stunt landed and Coolidge’s reveal film now out, the idea has evolved into a high-reach integrated campaign, with TVC, social, retail films and OOH launching across Australia.

Blenkinship added, “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.”

Hello chief executive officer, Sam Kelly, stated, “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. It requires integrated thinking from the outset, alongside serious internal alignment around the vision, objectives and investment. This is a statement campaign that has already rewarded that bravery and demonstrates what our pioneering Hello & Audible integrated model can deliver when strategy, creative, earned, creators, talent and media are designed to work together from day one.”

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
Roll-Out: Hello Create (internal studio)