If you’re reading this space, you’ve already basically confirmed that you think reading is cool. Some of us can never get enough of it, evidenced by the stack of books I managed to topple off the desk every couple of days. Many of us are familiar with audiobooks; any number of people have shoved in a cassette or CD on which somebody with a stentorian voice reads the latest by Stephen King or James Patterson to soothe you while you’re stuck in gridlock. With infotainment systems becoming a significant factor in the decision-making of car buyers, it was predictable that the audiobook would evolve as time passed. Buick, with some key celebrity assistance, is making that happen right now.
If you take delivery of a new Buick Encore GX crossover, you can use your new vehicle’s touchscreen app to access Reese’s Book Club, founded by the actress and entrepreneur Reese Witherspoon, which she co-owns with Otter Media through their joint media venture, Hello Sunshine. The app will allow Encore GX drivers to access the full range of audiobooks and podcasts offered by the book club, which has a largely female reader base, and commands some 1.7 million followers on Instagram. The deal will also provide for Buick placement into Hello Sunshine’s menu of TV and film projects. The touchscreen capability for Reese’s Book Club is integrated into the Encore GX’s suite of infotainment and driver aids, a networking that will integrated into other Buicks during the 2021 model year.
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