The digital world is always-on and always buzzing. At this point, brands simply must go beyond creative storytelling to break through the clutter. They need two things to deliver a campaign that actually gets attention, engages and becomes memorable: cultural relevance and an unerring understanding of their audience.
Spotify Hits India 2024 put the spotlight on many such ads on November 27, 2024 at JW Marriott, Juhu Mumbai.
Quick context: what is Spotify Hits?
It is Spotify’s global program that celebrates exceptional ad campaigns on the platform.
First launched in Mexico in 2022, Hits debuted in India this month, showcasing nine brand campaigns across eight categories that cover the gamut of digital storytelling. These were selected from 100+ nominations which were evaluated by Spotify experts for their creative execution, strategic media deployment, and measurable business outcomes.
Two campaigns, in particular stood out as they managed to strike a chord. They had leveraged cultural relevance, iconic collaborations and nostalgia-driven narratives to convey the brand message.
ITC Bingo: Riding the K-Pop Wave
ITC Bingo won hearts in the ‘Made Us Look’ category, which celebrates creative video campaigns. The brand cleverly tapped into the K-Pop phenomenon to promote its new Korean-style chips.
Leveraging the Indian audience’s love for K-Pop, they collaborated with the Korean singer Aoora to create a quirky and energetic campaign. Centred around the music video Maeun Maeun, which translates to “spicy spicy” in Korean, they subtly cueing the product tagline ‘2X Spicy’.
“We wanted to creatively connect with our audience while showcasing Bingo’s adventurous spirit,” said Suresh Chand, VP & Head of Marketing for ITC’s Snacks, Noodles and Pasta. “The vibrant appeal of K-Pop was the right medium for our audience base and we were able to tie the product’s core appeal—bold, spicy flavors—to a global cultural trend. Spotify amplified our reach and delivered results that translated into actual increase in sales, especially in outlets near colleges and offices. We strive for bold ideas and cultural relevance in our campaigns. It’s exciting to see our efforts celebrated on Spotify Hits.”
Not only did the campaign reach 8.8 million users but also generated an astounding 91% recall rate.
It was perceived as distinctive, entertaining and well-branded by respondents of a Brand Lift Study conducted afterwards.
Goibibo: Unlocking Nostalgia with some Poo Fever
In the ‘Sound & Story’ category, which celebrates the effective use of audio and video narratives, Goibibo’s celebrity-led campaign won accolades.
Doubling down on nostalgia, the brand used Bollywood’s favourite Poo’s cult fanbase to spotlight their travel offerings.
Just like in the movie Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham (2001), Poo played by Kareena Kapoor Khan is seen rating various hotel rooms.
The campaign cleverly played on people’s desire to feel like the main character while on vacation and positioned Goibibo as the ideal travel partner to help them do that.
The best bit? Kareena’s nickname “Bebo” phonetically rhymes with Goibibo, creating an instant brand connection.
The campaign reached 5 million users and delivered increased ad recall by +19 points and purchase intent by +7 points.
Some other exciting bits of Spotify Advertising 2024
Lots of other campaigns by big brands were celebrated at Spotify Hits India including those from AMFI, Sensodyne, ICICI Bank, Converse, Royal Enfield, Lakme, Palmolive, MAC Cosmetics, Maybelline, OPPO, and SBI Life Insurance.
These campaigns stood out because of their diverse creative approaches across categories, from innovative sound design to interactive formats to live event activations.
“ITC Bingo and Goibibo exemplified how imaginative collaborations and iconic comebacks can create lasting connections with audiences,” said Neha Ahuja, Head of Marketing, Spotify India. “By tying contemporary trends and nostalgic elements to their core propositions, these brands showed the incredible potential of audio and video narratives to drive meaningful engagement. Spotify Hits is about celebrating such creativity and inspiring the advertising community to keep pushing boundaries.”
Spotify Hits Indian debut was attended by leaders from 45+ brands and their agency partners. It featured campaign screening as well as a power packed performed by the acclaimed musicians Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy.
To know more about the event: Link
