WHO THE F*CK IS JOHN?
An Immersive Book Campaign from the Heart of Darkness
Authors often describe writing a novel as an intense, almost physical experience, in which fictional characters develop lives of their own and take over the narrative, leading the story in unexpected directions. But what if this process didn’t end with the final sentence? What if a character truly came to life and demanded answers from their creator?
To promote the upcoming thriller „JOHN“ by Bernhard Aichner, due to be published by Wunderlich on June 17, 2025, we took this idea and pushed it to its limits. „JOHN“ is the sequel to the novel „YOKO“ — a two-part story centred around a woman who, after a traumatic event, sets out on a relentless quest for revenge. In the second book, she finds herself stranded on a remote Greek island — wounded and hunted, yet still far from defeated.
The Story Behind the Campaign
At the heart of our creative concept lies a spoiler-free, narratively rich podcast that establishes a dramatic connection between the two books. In this five-part series, Yoko, now going by the name John, decides to hold her creator accountable. She lies in wait for Bernhard Aichner in his hotel room, catching him off guard as he returns from a reading. What follows is a tense, psychological chamber drama featuring improvised dialogue layered with documentary-style inserts and immersive sound design.
© Der Audio Verlag – From left zu right: Bernhard Aichner, Vera Teltz, Stephanie Bagehorn, Thomas Zorbach
Running for six weeks, the immersive campaign is anchored by an interactive landing page: www.john-thriller.de. During the teaser phase, the site provided a mysterious entry point into the „storyworld“, revolving around classified case files documenting Yoko’s fictional killing spree. Since the launch of the podcast, new episodes have been released weekly on the site. A parallel sweepstake encourages visitors to engage with the unfolding narrative and explore its emotional and moral tensions.
The Author’s Fingerprint: Profiling Bernhard Aichner
The basis of this campaign is Bernhard Aichner’s brand as an author. The Austrian novelist, who always writes the first draft by hand, including sketches, became internationally known through his series „Totenfrau“ („Woman of the Dead“), which has recently been adapted into two Netflix seasons. The core question we tackled was: How can Aichner be positioned even more clearly as a distinctive voice in the thriller market in terms of style, tone and public persona? Together with Rowohlt and the author himself, we analysed Aichner’s literary DNA – his themes, narrative techniques, and connection with his readers – using the Author Brand Canvas we have developped. The result is a cohesive brand story that not only forms the strategic backbone of the campaign, but is also woven thematically into the dialogue and character dynamics of the podcast.
Breaking the Fourth Wall
With the release of Episode 3 this week, the campaign is entering a new phase. Listeners can become part of the story themselves by sending a voice message directly to Bernhard Aichner’s phone. The boundaries between fiction and reality, between author, character and audience dissolve completely. Listeners are no longer mere observers; they become active participants in a narrative that has long since transcended the boundaries of the printed page.
