For this year’s International Book Day, Audi came two indisputable conclusions. On the one hand, it has been publishing their own book, the Audi Owner’s Manual, for many years. On the other hand, and to be honest, it is a book that few people read.
So, it set itself a challenge – to make you open it for the first time, with an idea by Ogilvy. In collaboration with the publishing team at Penguin Random House, Audi turned its manual into a collection of stories entitled Novelas de Manual”
As well as getting customers to actually read its manual, the campaign highlights literature on its celebratory day.
“Understanding a manual is important. It helps you enjoy your car more and drive it more safely. But to break down the barrier that makes no one open it, we needed to approach it in a very different way. We have managed to get people to learn how to change the brake fluid or how to interpret the warning lights with stories that transport us to another century, with trips to the space or with disturbing thrillers,” stated Willy Gutiérrez, copywriter at Ogilvy.
For the project, seven brave authors dared to take on a not easy challenge – to write stories using some of the key words in the manual. And not only that: they have also placed them on the same page, line, and position. And so, through novelasdemanual.es/ or novelasdemanual.es/?mode=el (depending on the vehicle model), users can jump from the stories to the manual just by clicking on these key concepts.
In addition, some chapters are customised to Audi model, to suit the specifics of each manual. “We know that Audi users value creativity, especially at special times of the year, but they value personalization even more and the certainty that the ideas are designed for each of them,” Gutiérrez added.
Except for the keywords, the authors had absolute creative freedom, which gave rise to very different and original stories that, in some cases, had nothing to do with the automotive sector: Las mudanzas, written by Miqui Otero, shows readers that behind such a tedious activity as a move, a delightful story can be hidden. Noche de paz, by Carla Montero, takes readers to a story based on real events set in World War II. In El Día en que murió Alicia Sabater, by Arantza Portabales, readers will discover what happened on the day of the death of its protagonist. Júlia Peró immerses readers in María, María, María in a cab ride that hides a captivating story. Emma Lira mixes reality and fiction in a conflict between the Roman Empire and the East in Last Night in Palmyra. In Inventario de sueños, Francesc Miralles offers readers an edifying story to learn secrets about oneself. And Cuándo dejamos de querernos by Miguel Gane, proposes a fascinating journey to rediscover love.
“My idea is to put myself in the reader’s shoes and think, what would I like to read if I receive a communication from Audi for Book Day? In this case, I would like to think that I am not reading anything about cars and realise that I am learning about cars,” explained Emma Lira.
“The initiative is very interesting because it means giving a new life and a new format to the manual,” added Miguel Gane.
It is the fourth consecutive time that Audi and Ogilvy have joined forces to carry out an action related to literature. In 2021 and 2022 they surprised with Audi Future Books, a collection of stories that were yet to be written. In 2023, with Extraordinary Reports, they turned real Audi Customer Service cases into exciting stories. And, this year, they have shown us that, with an original approach and a brand purpose, it is possible to turn a serious and technical reading, such as the manual, into an exciting activity. The initiative highlights Audi’s commitment to the promotion of culture and that offers us an original and surprising way to learn more about their vehicles.
Credits:
Creative Agency: Ogilvy Spain
Executive Creative Directors: Roberto Fara, Noelia Fernández.
Creative Director: Fran Arguijo.
Art Directors: Nico Farina, Daniel Halifa.
Copywriters: Willy Gutiérrez, Andrea Sánchez.
Ux Design: Gabriel Pangua.
Account Team: Sara Farrés, Andrea Palacios, Isa Cisneros.
Technology Team: Juan Luis Pérez, Paco Sirvent, Ismael Luque.
Production Team: Monika Díaz, Jordi Roca.
Client: Audi
Crm & Bi Senior Manager Audi: Gemma Sort.
Audi Loyalty Manager: Emma Castells.
Audi Loyalty Sales Specialist: Alba Lara
