What it had to solve
Show the power of the community-driven music platform by linking music with cultural events and quirky listening data.
The idea
Behind every track is a story written by listeners, so tell the strange-but-true ones: Falkor's song streamed daily, the Pope's rock album, Flo Rida's moving playlists.
How it works
Tim Godsall of Anonymous Content directed spots bringing back Noah Hathaway and Alan Oppenheimer from The NeverEnding Story. They aired from 28 March on TV, in cinema and online, with digital and OOH including a life-size hand-painted Falkor mural in Williamsburg, all driving to free custom playlists.
What it did
LBB reports the launch and rollout channels; no results were given.
Background
LBB reported on 29 March 2016 that Spotify had launched a new brand campaign bringing together Falkor, Flo Rida and some rocking nuns to show the power of its community-driven music platform. It was the first campaign created with agency partner Wieden+Kennedy New York and marries memorable visuals and ear-worm tracks to tell the stranger-than-fiction stories that live within Spotify.
The first spots link music with cultural events, from the election campaign dominating the news to enduring love for Falkor, the furry dragon of The NeverEnding Story. Noah Hathaway and Alan Oppenheimer, who originally played Atreyu and voiced Falkor, return. Tim Godsall of Anonymous Content directed.
Spots began airing Monday 28 March on TV, in cinema and online. Digital and OOH, including a life-size, hand-painted mural of Falkor in Williamsburg, drive to custom playlists free to Spotify and non-Spotify users. Facts used include that the Falkor song is streamed at least once every day somewhere, that the Pope has a rock album, and that Flo Rida keeps appearing in playlists about moving.
Why it lands
Spotify's pitch is its community, so the campaign draws on what listeners actually stream.
Nostalgic cult characters like Falkor create instant recognition.
Odd data facts are shareable and fit short TV spots.
Custom free playlists gave non-subscribers a way in.
What you can take
Mine your own data for the oddest stories: a platform's weirdest listening facts make better ads than a feature list.
Since then
LBB gave no results; the report framed the campaign as Spotify's first with W+K New York.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE