The Australian actress Instagram sensation Celeste Barber, who famously recreated celeb Instagram photos, is back at it again. This time to demonstrate how audiobooks are the “books that fit in with real-life” in a partnership with Audible. Also featuring chef Poh Ling Yeow and TV presenter Clarke Gayford, this hilarious advertisement challenges all Australians to rediscover the joys of books, whenever and wherever they are.
The paperback, for all its past glory, has struggled to keep up in this society of social media and digital, ephemeral entertainment. Few still appreciate the beauty of good ol’ paper. But just because that is the case does not mean that literature as a whole must go out the window. Many get their news online, others listen to podcasts when they’re in the car or on the move. It’s not that we don’t want to read, it’s that we can’t seem to find the time, in fact, 62% have stopped completely because of this.
Audible, the Amazon company selling audiobooks, released a quirky advertisement with the “Queen of Comedy”, Celeste Barber at her funniest. She shows off her audiobooks at the gym for those with active lifestyles, or in her case, the “semi-active lifestyle;” in the car with the screaming kids who, upon looking to the back seat, she realises were not even her kids. She even listens to them in bed with a cuppa that, admittedly, “doesn’t smell like a cup of tea” according to her husband who is clearly not fooled by her antics.
“I love a good book as much as the next person, but when you’re busy screaming at your children, staring at your shirtless hot husband and becoming an internationally renowned author, it can be hard to find the time. Rather than risk being crushed under the 200 unread books piled on my nightstand, I can take matters into my own hands with Audible and I’m almost half as well read as I pretend to be,”
said Celeste Barber
With Audible, it’s said that the average user can go through up to 22 books a year, whether it be “during the commute, doing housework, in the car with the kids and before bed,” says Leanne Cartwright-Bradford, Country Manager of Audible Australia and New Zealand.
“Between spending quality dad time, taking Rex the sheep for a walk or fitting in a spot of fishing, I’d started to see similarities between my reading habit and the last Kingfish I tried to catch – it would forever be the one that got away. Now I can get my dad duties done and go on Audible adventures whenever I have a spare minute,”
says Clarke Gayford
As part of the campaign, and to further encourage Aussies to jump back into books, Celeste Barber, Poh Ling Yeow and Clarke Gayford have all given us a list of their favourite books that you too can enjoy.
Celeste Barber’s Favourite Books
- Always Look on the Bright Side of Life – Eric Idle
- Becoming – Michelle Obama
- Bossypants – Tina Fey
- Breath – Tim Winton
- Do You Mind If I Cancel? (Things That Still Annoy Me) – Gary Janetti
- Life Will Be the Death of Me…And You Too! – Chelsea Handler
- Matilda – Roald Dahl
- The Handmaids Tale – Margaret Atwood
- The Subtle Art if Not Giving a F*ck – Mark Manson
- Yes Please – Amy Poehler
Clarke Gayford’s Favourite Books
- Born a Crime – Trevor Noah
- Challenge Accepted! – Celeste Barber
- David Attenborough – Life on Air: Memoirs of a Broadcaster – David Attenborough
- Dishonesty is the Second-Best Policy – David Mitchell
- Gotta Get Theroux This – Louis Theroux
- The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams
- How Not to F*ck Up Your Kids Too Bad – Stephen Marche
- Life – Keith Richards
- Talking to Strangers – Malcolm Gladwell
- The Resilience Project: Finding Happiness Through Gratitude, Empathy and Mindfulness – Hugh van Cuylenburg
Poh Ling Yeow
- A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius – Dave Eggers
- At Home in the World: A Memoir – Joyce Maynard
- Call Me by Your Name – André Aciman
- Catch and Kill – Ronan Farrow
- Chocky – John Wyndham
- Medium Raw – Anthony Bourdain
- Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat – Samin Nosrat
- Sapiens – Yuval Noah Harari
- The Garden of Eden – Ernest Hemingway
- The Tipping Point – Malcolm Gladwell
Download Audible for free on the App Store here or Google Play here and get back into the “books that fit in with real-life.”
