SUCH A NICE GIRL
Andrea Mara
PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE // TRANSWORLD PUBLISHING
Penguin Random House's campaign for Andrea Mara's Such A Nice Girl reached Number One on the Irish bestseller charts, through a video-led cinematic campaign with Gunpowder House Productions.
THE CONTEXT
Andrea Mara is a household name in Ireland, a consistent presence on the Irish book charts. She has built a devoted readership across more than a decade of psychological thrillers, most recently bolstered by the television adaptation of All Her Fault. Transworld’s goal was to expand Andrea’s audience in the UK markets, steering her onto the path of becoming a household name here in the UK. Though Andrea Mara is an established Sunday Times bestseller, UK readers had not yet developed the automatic relationship with her name that Irish readers have.
Transworld approached Gunpowder House via an internal referral within Penguin Random House UK. Marketing Director Sarah Ridley made the introduction, and Director Srishti Chhabria began working with Andrea’s Brand Manager, Jennifer Porter, on the strategic groundwork before the filming began. Together, they worked on mapping Andrea's readership profile, her channel presence, and her brand signals into a Brand Voice Guide, a single reference point ensuring that every piece of campaign material would express a consistent vision of the author.
This campaign targeted audiences on TV Broadcast, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook, promoting the hardback and tradeback release. The content Gunpowder House had to create needed to communicate the impeccable quality of the writing in a way that moved audiences from "that sounds like a good book" to "this is a new Andrea Mara, must buy."
THE STRATEGY
Transworld was determined that this campaign did more than generate visibility. The entire marketing push was led by video, a deliberate choice that acknowledged what traditional advertising alone cannot do. After reading Such A Nice Girl, Director Srishti Chhabria identified that the pacing of the writing was instrumental in communicating the anxiety-inducing twists and turns. Another aspect that differentiates Andrea Mara's work from her contemporaries is how relatable her stories feel. Frequently her readers note that this is a story that could happen to them, it could happen to anybody. These qualities were the foundation upon which the campaign was built.
Leading up to publication day, Transworld circulated the variant cutdowns of the flagship trailer amongst a dedicated community of Bookstagram influencers, giving audiences a drip-fed tease of what was to come. The cutdowns were built around the tropes readers of domestic crime fiction already recognised, giving new readers every reason to pick up a copy of the book.
THE WORK
The Brand Voice Guide shaped every deliverable in this campaign. Whether the audience encountered Andrea through the trailers, her interview, or the behind-the-scenes film, they were meeting the same person, expressed consistently across every format and channel.
The variant cut down trailers leaned into the tropes of domestic crime fiction such as a suburban setting, fractured domesticity, and an uncomfortable sense that something ordinary is about to go wrong. The pacing and scripting were designed to recreate the experience of reading Andrea's writing rather than describing it. Each trailer ended on a cliffhanger, releasing new information weekly and urging audiences to return and connect the dots. The teasers were built to raise questions, never to answer any. The flagship trailer released on publication day, with broadcast spots on Lorraine and on Sky and NOW TV UK for the three weeks following. While the broadcast placements reached Mara's primary and adjacent readership, the teasers were simultaneously drawing new audiences through social media.
During the production of the trailers, Andrea visited the set for a directed author interview. Andrea is warm, disarming, and quick to connect with everyone around her, qualities that sit in striking contrast to the psychological dread her books produce. The interview brought out this contrast, giving audiences a clear introduction to who she is and allowing them to develop a relationship with her before reading her work. The behind-the-scenes film followed the creative decisions being made on set and the process behind the storytelling, giving audiences a window into the level of intention that goes into the marketing of their authors.
THE OUTCOME
Such A Nice Girl topped the Irish bestseller charts on publication, reaching Number One for two consecutive weeks according to Nielsen IQ, selling 1,700 copies in its first week and 1,800 in its second. As of 22nd June 2026, the book sits at Number 5 in the Amazon UK Crime, Thriller and Mystery chart, Number 2 in Mystery, and Number 4 in Psychological Thrillers.
“I was delighted to have the opportunity to work with Srishti and the Gunpowder team for a recent book publicity campaign. Srishti was so professional, kind, friendly and organised – it was a joy to watch her work. Her understated manner wields a kind of magic and the results were stunning. I would highly recommend Srishti and Gunpowder.”
Andrea Mara, Sunday Times Bestselling Author of Such A Nice Girl, All Her Fault, It Should Have Been Her
DELIVERABLES
Full Cinematic Trailer
TV Broadcast, Hardback & Tradeback
YouTube, Hardback & Tradeback
Instagram, Hardback & Tradeback
Facebook, Hardback & Tradeback
Campaign Interview with Andrea Mara
Andrea Mara Brand Voice Guide
Behind-The-Scenes Film
CREDITS
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Commissioned by: Transworld, Penguin Random House UK
Marketing Director, Transworld: Sarah Ridley
Senior Brand Manager: Jennifer Porter
Client: Andrea Mara
Production Company: Gunpowder House Productions
Directed by: Srishti Chhabria
Produced by: Amie Page
Director of Photography: Isabel Morales-Detková
1st Assistant Director: Tripti Rai
Art Director: Baltasar Cuellar
1st Assistant Camera: Recel Wynsley Tonelada
2nd Assistant Camera: Vittoria Maiolo
Gaffer: Ka Cheung Eric Choi
1st Assistant Lighting: Benjamin Wong from Non Stop Film UK
2nd Assistant Lighting: João Amante
Sound Recordist: Cael McNally
Hair & Makeup Artist: Elaine Lo
BTS by: Ben Rafferty
Special Thanks to: Natalie Lister
Post Production Producer: Srishti Chhabria
TV Advertisement & Social Media Teasers, edited by: Laurie Jenkins
Author Interview & BTS Film, edited by: Harry Norton
Colourist: Cristina Giribets from Wild Island Films
Cast: Isabel Gray, Francesca Anderson, Emma Kinsey, Alexandra Cook
TV Advertisement & Social Media Teasers, Voice Over by: Jessica Regan
BTS Film Voice Over: Andrea Mara and Srishti Chhabria
BOOK A STRATEGY CALL
During our call, we’ll explore your objectives, uncover the barriers holding you back, and map out effective video strategies designed to help you achieve your goals and targets.
PUBLISHING CONTENT
srishti@gunpowderhouse.co.uk
PRODUCTION OPERATIONS
harry@gunpowderhouse.co.uk
CHARITY FILM CONTENT
max@gunpowderhouse.co.uk