In today's digital world, many individuals, particularly the youth, feel compelled to conceal their authentic personalities due to the fear of being judged. The boundaries between the virtual and real world were gradually blurred and became increasingly challenging to discern what was genuine and authentic. However, music remained a powerful medium that could connect with people's hearts and souls, serving as a tool for expressing genuine emotions.    

As a brand that valued and preserved the authenticity of emotions, Spotify aimed to empower Gen Z to freely express and celebrate their true feelings through music. We recognized that music could evoke raw emotions and create a sense of connection and understanding. Spotify sought to create an environment where individuals could be true to themselves, allowing their emotions to be expressed and celebrated.

Spotify Wrapped is an in-app feature providing personalized insights on users' year-long listening habits using platform statistics. This year, Spotify Wrapped aimed to celebrate genuine emotions throughout 2023, delving into individual music preferences to empathise with users on a deeper level.  

Introducing "FEEL WHAT'S REALLY REAL ON #SPOTIFYWRAPPED"  

Our campaign dove into the rich tapestry of our audience's listening habits, showcasing the top tracks of 2023 alongside the emotional connections they evoke.  Instead of solely celebrating songs based on their statistical records, we aimed to highlight the real feelings and emotions they evoke in listeners. We went beyond the numbers and created a series of creative assets that not only celebrated the top-trending songs but also emphasised the people and the genuine emotions they experienced while listening to these songs.  

By placing the spotlight on the emotional connection between music and its listeners, Spotify hoped to foster greater appreciation for the power of music to express and celebrate our truest selves.  In addition to leveraging data, Spotify infused cultural relevance into its campaigns to resonate with the youth:    

(1) Hi-jacking Local Relevant Moments: We seamlessly integrated Spotify into daily life, from online to offline interactions, sparking conversations and capturing attention. Eg: we highlighted how Spotify enhanced experiences with traditional Vietnamese delicacies like Bánh Mì or created a vibrant and immersive musical journey on Hop-On Hop-Off buses.    

(2) Creative Language Integration: By incorporating popular Gen Z wordplay and slangs, our content felt authentic and spoke the language of our audience, fostering deeper connection and relatability.    

Through these creative approaches, Spotify not only tapped into the real emotional resonance of its users but also embraced the cultural nuances that affected their feelings. They enabled Spotify to deliver personalized and engaging content that truly celebrated the feelings and identities of Gen Z listeners.

Spotify engaged with Vietnamese GenZ through an unexpected approach, seamlessly from online to offline, and tailoring interactions to resonate with Gen Z across various touchpoints.    

I. TEASE: Unleash the Gen Z's curiosity with Wrapped 2023    

- Virtual OOH: Spotify set the Vietnamese internet curious toward Wrapped 2023 by redefining the trend of virtual OOH with local flavour instead of resorting to CGI stunts. A monumental display of national delight- Bánh Mì, wrapped in Phuc Du's hit (Yêu anh đi mẹ anh bán bánh mì - Love me cuz my mom sells bread), floating gracefully on the iconic Saigon River.    

- Alongside, Spotify prompted Gen Z to anticipate their Wrapped experience on social media communities by posing trigger questions about their feelings in 2023, hinting the arrival of Wrapped 2023.    

II. LAUNCH: Bringing Gen Z's “Real Feelings” to “Life”    

1. WRAPPED THE TOWN:    

Local hyper-engaging activation: From Top Songs to Real Life - we curated four immersive Wrapped centrepieces in iconic landmarks cherished by locals, each meticulously designed to evoke the emotions captured in the songs and amplified Gen Z attention to explore Wrapped 2023:    

- Really Really Determined: "Making my way" embodied confidence and ambition, epitomised by a grand red carpet experience at Bitexco celebrating those who slayed their own way in 2023.  

- Really Really ‘Fine': "nếu lúc ấy" (what ifs) offered a sanctuary for introspection and healing, with a private anti-sadness room for those grappling with regret.  

- Really Really In Love: "Đưa em về nhàa" - "take me homee," in the vibes of a single club and stuck it on the coolest ride in town —the Hop-in Hop-off Bus.  

- Really Really Smitten: Partnership with Bánh mì Bà Huynh and local shops to bring the virtual OOH bánh mì above to real life.    

2. WRAPPED THE SOCIAL MEDIA: From stunning offline activities we brought the conversation across all channels    

2.1. Collaborating with local artists: Leveraging the halo effect, these artists authentically expressed their emotions while celebrating their chart-topping success on Spotify on Facebook & Tiktok, further igniting the passion and enthusiasm of our Gen Z audience.    

2.2. KOLs & Communities: we partnered with diverse KOLs to share their Spotify Wrapped 2023. We engaged communities to change their Avatar/Cover Page into playfully represented songs. Both KOLs and communities encouraged their followers to join Wrapped experiences.    

2.3. Unexpected Duolingo Partnership: Adding a surprise, Duolingo debuted on Spotify, sparking ongoing conversation as the 'sarcastic friend' of Gen Z. With Duolingo's official presence, fans experienced an offline fan meeting on the Hop-On-Hop-Off bus and the MAKING MY WAY red carpet.    

That was how Spotify introduced Wrapped in Vietnam for the first time.

1. Drive awareness and engagement among Vietnamese Gen Z with Spotify.    

Spotify successfully raised Gen Z awareness with 502M total digital impressions across all channels within 1 month. In which, Facebook & TikTok contributed more than 280M impressions, exceeding the planned target by more than 61%.  Discussion about Spotify Wrapped were highly engaging with a total of 561k social media and KOL engagements.    

With offline activities, we made a Spotify District in HCMC, featuring 4 stunts that collectively attracted an estimated 140k traffic per day, resulting in a total of 17M impressions for all OOH activities.    

2. Become talk of the town among Gen Z during the Wrapped 2023 period.    

Over 100 local artists, who're really really trending among GenZ, joined the campaign. From awareness, more than 45k mentions were generated across social media channels.    

As a result, Spotify Wrapped achieved 85% SOV in December 2023 (including launching week), dominating the music streaming service category.    

3. Foster brand love by celebrating personal feelings and encouraging Gen Z to express themselves authentically.    

Positive sentiment was reported 12 times more frequently compared to negative sentiment during the campaign, especially partnership activities receiving over 80% positive sentiment.