To broadcast the debut of its “most ambitious” audiobook production to date, “Harry Potter: The Full-Cast Audio Editions,” Audible wanted to match the scale and grandeur of the new seven-book series by providing fans around the world with a dose of experiential magic. So together with Pottermore Publishing, the brand rolled out a global campaign on Nov. 3 that spans interactive installations, virtual release parties, immersive listening nooks, airport listening libraries, media integrations, a logo takeover, and, perhaps the most spellbinding of all, a vintage steam train journey aboard the Audible Express.
The multifaceted campaign is making its way to cities around the world to engage diehard “Harry Potter” fans and newcomers alike. So with a vast, multigenerational audience to appeal to, and an elaborate new project to celebrate, Audible is working to balance scale and intimacy, while remaining authentic to the iconic franchise. And the brand plans to charm fans well into the new year, with a new audiobook from the full-cast series slated to be released monthly through May 2026.
This isn’t Audible’s first rodeo in the wizarding world, however. Its original, single-narrator “Harry Potter” audiobook series was released in 2015. The new endeavor represents a more modern approach to audio storytelling, and features more than 200 actors bringing the tales to life, along with original music and Dolby Atmos sound design. From the brand’s perspective, the project perfectly lent itself to an experience-forward campaign.
“I’m very bullish on experiences, and I find that customers and fans want to be connected to that world that they love,” says James Finn, global head of brand and content marketing at Audible. “Whether you’re in Tokyo or São Paulo or San Diego, fans come out and want to be connected to other fans. They want to show off their fandom and their knowledge.”
With that sentiment in mind, we tapped Finn for learnings from the campaign, and best practices for crafting enchanting experiences that resonate with superfans.
ALWAYS FAN-FIRST
For Audible, it was imperative that each decision made throughout the planning and execution process kept fans at the heart of the experience. As Finn put it, “If we don’t show up authentically, then they’ll be the first to tell us.” As a result, the brand leveraged a fan-first approach to every aspect of its programming, including a firm focus on providing opportunities for consumers to showcase their fandom and engage with fellow Potterheads.
For one thing, just like the key art for the new audiobooks, Audible’s activations and experiences are packed with easter eggs that true fans will not only notice, but relish. For another, the brand homed in on a few traditions within the “Harry Potter” fan community and brought them to life. Case in point: When the original “Harry Potter” books were released, throngs of book stores hosted midnight celebrations that allowed consumers to purchase the new novel and connect with one another.
So Audible recreated the tradition for a modern, global audience with its Nov. 3 virtual listening party, hosted the night before the release of the first audiobook from the series, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.” Attendees “entered” through a pre-show lobby with a countdown clock, trivia, a chat function and the option to choose an avatar that represented one of the four “Harry Potter” houses.
Next, they encountered a “Wands at the Ready” moment, with influencer hosts guiding them through an interactive audio-clip voting experience. From there, fans explored behind-the-scenes content, “magical” visuals, virtual photo ops and exclusive listening moments of key scenes from the first installment. The event wrapped with an “afterparty” and reflection session.
Another fan-first touchpoint: David Holmes, the stunt double for Daniel Radcliffe in the “Harry Potter” films, is beloved within the superfan community, so Audible not only included him as an actor within the audiobook cast, but had him participate in the virtual release party.
“We’re really, really proud when they see the attention to detail, the nuances and the understanding of the fandom,” Finn says. “The teams that I have here are genuinely [“Harry Potter”] fans. So when [consumers] hear from Audible in those contexts, they’re hearing from somebody that’s a fan, somebody that understands the characters in the world. And you can tell right away when somebody isn’t. So that is absolutely critical… You have to be fan-first.”
MAKE IT MULTIFORMAT
Reaching a global, multigenerational audience of “Harry Potter” lovers required Audible to promote its new project through a variety of formats and channels. And the brand left no (sorcerer’s) stone unturned.
Interactive a/v installations, for instance, made their way to three worldwide venues—London’s Outernet, Manchester Printworks and Melbourne Central—that became fan destinations where consumers could engage in vignettes that brought the new audiobooks to life.
In a similar vein, available into 2026, Forbidden Forest Listening Nooks have been incorporated into the broader Forbidden Forest Experience in Chicago and Vancouver. The whimsical spaces are tucked inside glowing tree installations hidden in the forest, where attendees can choose scenes from the new installment to listen to.
Plus, throughout the month of December, Audible and its partners, Newark Liberty International Airport and Toronto Pearson Airport, are offering Listening Libraries to provide holiday travelers a moment of Zen as they sample the audiobooks, complemented by holographic screens that feature key quotes from the series.
“Starting with Thanksgiving, everybody’s traveling, and the airports are obviously packed,” says Finn. “So at Newark Airport, which is one of the largest airports in the States, and then Toronto, we’re doing these Listening Nooks. We just think it’s a great way to reach a large audience, but also something fun and engaging, something that’s a bit of a surprise and delight that you wouldn’t normally see when you’re going through the airport.”
In addition, worldwide virtual release parties, of course, are also essential to the strategy. The next digital celebration is slated for Dec. 16, the night before the second audiobook, “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,” will be released.
STORYTELLING AT SCALE
Speaking of formats, the scope and caliber of the brand’s Audible Express promotional event in Australia was something to behold. For one day on Nov. 9, roughly 900 consumers boarded the vintage steam train at Sydney Central Station, a replica of the Hogwarts Express, to be transported into scenes from the audiobooks. Tickets for the experience, which completely took over Platform 1, sold out in three days.
Consumers who scored a ticket were provided with souvenir passports, heard book excerpts and enjoyed a performance by a string quartet that played the score from the new production. While waiting for the train, they could pose in a photo booth and engage with an interactive phone booth, where they could hear samples from the audiobook and record messages explaining which “Harry Potter” house they’re in, and why.
Once aboard the Audible Express, fans enjoyed a listening experience featuring chapters from the new audiobook, including the Platform 9 ¾ and sorting hat scenes, along with experiences that complemented the narrative, like a sweets trolley with house colors that rolled out during the sorting hat scene.
“A lot of what we’re focused on is anchoring [experiences] to the content,” Finn says. “We wanted to focus on the new iteration, so at a lot of our experiential activations you’ll be able to sample, and you’ll be able to hear the project.”
BUILT FOR SOCIAL
Audible’s range of “Harry Potter” events and installations aren’t just built for those who get to explore them IRL; they’re also designed for fans online to enjoy—something that Finn says is critical to making the entirety of the fandom feel included. To that end, every angle of every experience the brand has created is primed for social sharing.
“When we were building out what the event would look like, I wanted to make sure that every corner of it, if somebody took their camera out, that whatever is behind them, whatever is in front of them, whatever is around them, feels connected to the project,” Finn says. “And I feel strongly about it because not everybody can go to these events. So how does it translate in a fun way online?”
On the flip side, the IRL attendees who are sharing their experience on social are earning street cred within the fan community. “They want to be immersed in that world, and they want to be part of it in a more meaningful way. And there’s that equity and that value to share on social that is very compelling,” says Finn.
While Audible’s campaign is still underway, Finn says the initial results and responses have been positive.
“Expectations are high, but the fan reaction has been so, so strong,” he says. “And then you hear fans who are like, ‘I can’t wait to introduce ‘Harry Potter’ to my kids.’ So it’s an entry point for new fans, as well. I think people just want to get out in the world and meet other fans and other folks and be able to showcase their fandom.”
We’ll raise a goblet of fire to that.
Photo credits: Redscope Films; Mark Coleman; courtesy of Audible
