Audi’s erotic novel boost

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Audi’s erotic novel boost

DateAugust 15, 2012 - 4:34PM


Audi in the United States is basking in the reflected glory of the smash hit explicit novel Fifty Shades of Grey.

The German luxury brand is the car of choice for characters in the racy trilogy of books by British author E.L. James.

And the books, dubbed “mommy porn” by the media, seem to be having the desired effect on Audi, with sales up 28 per cent in July.



While Audi is not yet saying there is a direct connection with the brand’s mention in the books, it does expect that there will be an increase in showroom interest.


‘‘As Audi continues to generate momentum in the US market, we’re seeing our products utilised more and more within popular culture,’’ Loren Angelo, the general manager of Audi brand communications in the US, told Advertising Age.

‘‘Those organic results are always a sign that a brand is generating real cultural relevance. Obviously, the runaway success of this [50 Shades] series has introduced Audi to consumers who might not have previously been thinking of the brand and that certainly has a positive impact for us.’’

The book specifically mentions an Audi A3 hatchback that is gifted to the female love interest, as well as the R8 Spyder and the Q7 large soft-roader owned by the rich playboy who is the focus of the story.

The manufacturer says it has not paid for the mentions, and wasn’t even aware it featured in the novels until recently.

Audi Australia spokeswoman Anna Burgdorf said that while there was no unexpected spike in Audi sales last month, there has been “quite a bit’’ of feedback about the fact that the brand is mentioned.

‘‘They’re just comments from people,’’ she says. ‘‘We’ve had numerous sources give us feedback about the role the brand plays in the book.’’

However, that feedback isn’t necessarily from people who have read the books and then wandered into a showroom.

‘‘It’s a little bit tricky for us to somehow gauge who is a potential customer who has also read the book. Some Audi buyers have potentially read it, though,’’ Burgdorf says.

‘‘If reading the book even puts one Audi buyer on the shopping list, there’s another big win for us.’’

Will the brand try to leverage the link?

‘‘Perhaps we will,’’ she says. ‘‘Never say never.’’
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