A high-profile new audiobook, The Missing Lines, narrated by Stephen Fry, has been frustrating listeners with its abrupt and premature ending. After three days on leading podcast platforms, the book was revealed to be a stunt, part of an awareness campaign for the UK charity, Missing People. The campaign was created pro bono by House 337. The agency came up with the idea for a story about a missing child, then wrote the opening pages and invented a fictional author, who was given the name M.S. Singh.
Having downloaded the audiobook, listeners found the story ends abruptly after three minutes – when the main character, Marcus, goes missing after being coerced into working with a county lines drugs gang. The next eight chapters are filled with nothing but an eerie silence. The listener is deprived of a resolution to the story, reflecting the real-life experience of the thousands of people whose loved ones go missing every year.
In a final chapter released on January 11, Fry explains that the podcast is not broken, but is in fact a partnership with the Missing People charity designed to reflect the feeling that many parents have when their loved one is missing. It’s a story with no ending, one that leaves the listener in limbo indefinitely.
Fry, who is a longstanding patron of Missing People, has been involved in a number of previous Missing People initiatives, including a digital outdoor campaign to promote the UK Child’s Rescue Alert system developed to speed up the reporting of missing children. He has also previously appeared in a short film for the charity voicing an emotional appeal for families missing loved ones to help get missing people home for Christmas.
House 337 approached Fry to narrate the opening pages for the audiobook, which is being distributed via Apple and Spotify’s podcast platforms and has been promoting it on audio network, Acast, via other podcasts and hosts, and through influencers across all social platforms. House 337 also designed a cover for the book which has been turned into a poster to promote the podcast’s launch. The artwork was displayed on over 60 DOOH sites donated by Ocean Outdoor, and across 250 sites donated by JC Decaux across the UK.
Listen to the Podcast on Apple or Spotify.
Missing People CEO, Jo Youle, commented, “Over a million people a year in the UK either go missing, or are impacted by their loved ones going missing, so we are incredibly grateful to Stephen for bringing this seismic issue to life in such a unique way. As the UK’s only charity dedicated to reconnecting missing people with their loved ones, our work needs continued support so if you’ve been moved by our Missing Lines campaign, please visit our website to find out how you can help.”
Stephen Fry added, “For the people listening to the Missing Lines, that will probably mean something like frustration. The break in Marcus’ story being a possible mistake, or something that ruins your day. But when a person goes missing in real life, their loved ones are left with unimaginable loss. It could be your child, it could be someone in your family, a friend or a colleague battling a crisis in silence. Or, it could be you.
“I myself went missing at a time of crisis in my life, I have an understanding of the pain it causes for everyone involved. I was fortunate enough to be reunited with my loved ones; not everyone gets that reunion. When someone disappears, they become invisible, and many of them come to harm. Tragically, more missing people than ever before are being found dead. This is a national crisis. The charity, Missing People, exists to connect everyone who is missing to safety, and to give them and those who miss them hope. To find out more ways that you can help, so that no one’s story is left incomplete, please visit the website www.missingpeople.org.uk/missinglines.”
Steve Hawthorne, creative director at House 337, commented, “The chance to work with Stephen Fry doesn’t come along often. So to use that opportunity to record a story that doesn’t even have an ending may seem odd. But we needed to do something a bit unusual to even begin getting across how it feels for the families and loved ones of people who go missing. And we were only able to do that thanks to an army of talented people donating their time and talent. From the vocal skills of Stephen Fry to the audio wizardry of Wave, to the podcast expertise of Adelicious and Listen, to the generosity of Ocean Outdoor, JC Decaux and GoodStuff. So thanks to all involved.”
Over 170,000 people run away and go missing each year in the UK. Missing People is the UK charity that offers a lifeline for anyone affected by missing or thinking of going missing.
Credits:
Client: Missing People
Client Team: Chantal Korcz, Liam Russell, Victoria Zabci
Creative Agency: House 337
Executive Creative Director: Jo Moore, Leon Jaume
Creative Directors: Steve Hawthorne, Katy Hopkins, Tian Murphy, Charlie Gee
Creative Team: Jack Tibbs, Michael Arthey
Designer: Aaron Pacey
Cover Art: Tian Murphy
Strategy Directors: Gemma Glover, Duncan McLauchlan
Senior Strategist: Jack Cartwright
Senior Account Director: Nick Cooper
Project Director: Sophie Richaume
Head of Film: Sue Lee Stern
Production Assistant: Finn Harney
PR & Comms: MHP
Brand Reputation: Director: Helen Byard
Associate Director: James Rollinson
PR & Comms: Persuasion
Team: Anisha Vekaria, Evie Stringer, Jane Austin
Sound Company: Wave
Sound Engineer: Toni Rapaccioli
Producer: Katie Buxton
Media
GoodStuff: Laura Moorcraft, Jess Bernard
Adelicious: Andrew Goldsmith
Listen: Evangeline Robinson (Marketing manager)
JCD: Hannah Tellyn
Ocean Outdoor: Xavier Keenan
