Amazon Books celebrates audio storytelling

The work, created by Droga5 London, will run in UK and US till end of the year

By Creative Salon

21 August 2023

Amazon Books continues its “That Reading Feeling” campaign with evocative new work from creative agency Droga5 London, a part of Accenture Song, that includes radio ads for the first time.

The campaign’s second instalment is aimed at celebrating the place of books at the foundation of culture, and for the first time reflects the boom in audio storytelling by using radio ads to support the print, digital and social assets, inspiring readers to get more out of what they read.

For the print assets, Droga5 London commissioned 19 illustrators, some from the first round, and 110 designs to bring new life to the invisible magic that happens inside our imaginations when we read. Each illustrator was briefed with just the genre of a book and a specific word or illustration to bring to life in their own unique way. The result is a rich combination of styles which mirrors the multifaceted and idiosyncratic nature of reading, mirroring the rich tapestry of feelings that only a good read can bring.

The agency worked with photographer Felicity Ingram, known for her fashion and beauty work for the likes of British Vogue, together with well-known illustrators including Angela Kirkwood, Steph Ramplin, Chrome and Lightning, Vicmcmxciii, Harry Bhal and Sebastian Rabaste.

Across social, the campaign focuses on different characters as they react to the books they are reading. As we watch them read, an enchanting array of images and words pop up, using phrases like “Bye bye reality, hello fantasy,” “Did not see that plot twist coming,” “Oh wow are they really about to...?” and “Just one more chapter.”

The radio campaign extends that dialogue into a new channel, as it wittily explores the various and very unique reactions that individual readers have when enjoying a book: for example, “Woah”, “haha” and “Ahh” in reaction to an unexpected reveal, finding the perfect quote for your dating profile or discovering a cute cyberpunk.

The campaign will run in the US and UK from August through to the end of the year. It includes OLV, digital, social, radio and OOH including a billboard in New York City.