The Story Behind Departures® Magazine's Audi Insert

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Departures®, the luxury brand published by Meredith Corporation exclusively for American Express Platinum Card Members, in partnership with Audi of America, unveiled an exclusive print advertisement in the November/December 2018 issue, featuring a user experience that emulates a premium feature of the all-new Audi A8.

The interactive in-book experience provides the reader with a key fob that animates organic light-emitting diode (OLED) taillights on a virtual Audi A8 when the page is opened for the first time. It can then be activated either by closing and reopening the pages or with the key fob. Locking and unlocking the all-new 2019 vehicle becomes a unique event as the lights animate to greet the driver. 

The insert represents the authentic lighting technology being used by Audi for its A8 vehicle.

This is the first print execution of its kind for Departures®. The breakthrough Audi A8 creative was distributed to 25,000 targeted Departures® readers in the November/December issue.

Structural Graphics created the technology behind the print ad, developing a record-breaking number of LEDs to mimic the Audi A8’s unique lighting design animation. Structural Graphics also produced the remote control faux key fob that Departures readers will use to trigger the display lights – a one-of-a-kind experience that has never been done before.

The technology used to produce the insert was paired with art from Audi’s media and creative agencies, PHD Media New York and Venables Bell & Partners, to reinforce the elegant exterior styling of the all-new Audi A8.

Click here to see additional images of this project.