Radio works. Creative radio works harder,
Guesthouse audio
Guesthouse Audio helps brands, agencies, stations, and media groups create the kind of creative radio and audio advertising people actually enjoy, leading to better results and much brand love.
RULE 1:
Do something
interesting
Hear how we helped Coca-Cola turn a co-branded live-read radio promo into the Radio Mercury Awards Prize for Innovation.
Our team is led by Mitch Bennett and Wes Whitener, two of the most recognized radio and audio creatives in the country. Between them they’ve won 6 top awards at the Radio Mercuy Awards, including the Innovation Award, Best Campaign twice, and Best In Show for three different clients. They’ve also won Gold Cannes Radio Lions for Coca-Cola and Radio Recliner.
Mitch is a long-term member of the Radio Advisory Board, and 2024’s Head Judge of the Radio Mercury Awards.
“The team at Guesthouse Audio have been part of shaping what radio can be, helping write creative audio’s best practices by breaking all the rules.”
RULE 2:
MESS WITH THE MEDIUM
We all know radio’s rules. Break them.
It doesn't take long to demonstrate how fast Quikrete fast-setting concrete does its thing. 10 seconds, in fact.
The Long Story Short campaign dramatizes the product benefit by compressing the timelines of famously long stories into super short radio spots in a campaign that lasted for 3 years and 16 different spots. The 10-second radio spots worked well not just for the brand, but for the radio stations who ran it. Now all stations offer shorter-form media buys, where previously almost 100% of inventory was :30 and :60.
“Radio Mercury Winners Launch Creative Agency Aimed At Improving Audio Ads”
RULE 3:
IF YOU MAKE A RADIO SPOT,
DON’T MAKE IT FEEL LIKE ONE
Make it as fun as what the person was trying to listen to in the first place.
Scriptwriting
Scriptwriting + full production including direction, casting, talent payments, music and delivery
Creative workshops for stations, media groups, agency teams and brands
1:1 training with radio and audio writers and producers to get to the good stuff
RULE 4:
Don’t assume a radio brief is just a radio brief.
WHAT CAN YOU DO THAT IS RADIO, AND ALSO MORE?
We had a brief for a 30-second spot to say names were back on Coke bottles. Instead, we created a totally unique song for every name. Over 1,000 of them.
We worked with our team of 20 creatives, plus account managers, project managers and producers, Score A Score music, and amazing clients to pull it off without cheating. Yes, we wrote and recorded more than 1,000 songs.
One Show Best in Category & Gold / Radio Custom Content
One Show Silver / Innovation in Radio
One Show Silver / Experiential Radio
One Show Bronze / Craft Use of Music
Cannes Silver and Bronze Lions / Brand Experience & Activation
Cannes Silver Lions x2 / Radio & Audio
Cannes Bronze Lion / Digital & Social Real-time Response
Cannes Bronze Lion / Media - Branded Content for Digital or Social
AdStars Asia / Grand Prix, 2 Crystal, 2 Gold, 11 Silver, 4 Bronze
Clios / Gold in Innovation, Silver, 2 Bronze
Art Directors Club Silver Cube / Innovation
D&AD Wood Pencil / Crafts for Advertising
D&AD Wood Pencil / Use of Radio & Audio
Webby People's Voice Nominee / Real-Time Response
Radio Mercury Awards / Best of Show
RULE 5:
USE radio’s power
to connect
BROADCASTING LIVE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOCIAL MEDIA
During the pandemic, we helped Bridge Senior Living keep assisted living residents in their communities across the country connected, by credting a dedication-style station called Radio Recliner. Resident “DJs” hosted their own shows over their phones - playing tunes, telling stories, and giving shoutouts to loved ones they couldn’t see. It was one of the top feel-good stories of 2020, and helped Bridge come out with nearly 100% positive sentiment, while their competition was seen as failing and often endangering esidents.
AT&T
COCA-COLA
DELTA
WAL-MART
CHECKERS & RALLY’S
SIX FLAGS
SOUTHWEST AIRLINES
HILTON
FRENCH’S
BEYOND MEAT
GOODYEAR
ADULT SWIM
LL BEAN
RACETRAC
AUDI
QUIKRETE
SYNOVUS BANK
FIVE GUYS
MARSHALL’S
US CIVIL RIGHTS TRAIL
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD
MELLOW MUSHROOM
VOLVO
TRAVELOCITY
CANNES
ONE SHOW
D&AD
CLIOS
ART DIRECTOR’S CLUB
COMMUNICATION ARTS
ARCHIVE
WEBBY’S
NEW YORK TIMES
TIME MAGAZINE
EFFIES
MIDAS AWARDS
NEW YORK FESTIVALS
RADIO MERCURY AWARDS
LONDON INTERNATIONAL AWARDS
Guesthouse Audio
3176 Main St., Suite 111
Duluth, GA 30096
mitch@welcometoguesthouse.com
770-633-8862
