Vol 57. Spotify: 10 years of Wrapped 🎶

There aren’t many brands that can say their campaign has gone viral and been running for 10 years. There are even fewer who can say their campaign has been copied by hundreds of other brands and touted as an essential learning tool for marketers across industries. 

One brand that can say it all is Spotify. And it’s all thanks to their iconic Wrapped campaign. 

This week, Case Studied explores how found unprecedented value in data storytelling and repetition through Wrapped.

The Brief:

If you’ve been on the Internet in the past week or so, it’s likely you’ve been served some kind of content about this year’s Spotify Wrapped. Maybe it was reactions on social media, copycats from other brands, or simply your friends sharing their results with you. Regardless, it’s hard to avoid the chatter. 

Since its inception in 2015, Spotify’s “annual thank you” has been on a journey into the zeitgeist. Here’s a look at some of its evolutionary highlights: 

2015: V1. Called “Spotify Year in Music”, the campaign featured a year in review for Spotify, fans, and artists. It attracted over 5 million unique users. 

2016: Wrapped was born. “Year in Music” got rebranded to “Wrapped” and the “Your Top Songs” playlist was launched. 

2019: App adoption. Wrapped was directly built into the Spotify app to maximize discovery. 

2021: More personalization. The Audio Aura and Wrapped Blend debuted. Spotify also started including thank you videos from listeners’ top artists. 

2023: Creating connection. Sound Town and Me in 2023 were released. Wrapped set a record with 227 million user engagements. 

As for 2024? You’ve probably heard some rumblings…

The Execution:

After setting a new engagement milestone and debuting beloved features in 2023, there was a ton of anticipation around the 2024 Wrapped. Plus, with the 10th anniversary on top of that, there was even more added pressure to innovate and make the campaign feel new and interesting.

Spotify attempted this in a few ways. For starters, it allowed users to look at their audiobook and podcast listening habits in addition to their music listening habits. They also ditched Sound Towns for a feature called “Music Evolution”, where listeners were given a handful of music micro-genres, with names like “Boujee football rap” and “Pink pilates princess roller skating pop.”

The brand also launched an ‘Audio Overview’ podcast that was powered by generative AI and built with Google’s NotebookLM. It offered a way for users to listen to their annual report via a podcast hosted by two AI hosts. And the entire campaign debuted in Spotify’s new typeface revealed earlier this year. 

The 2024 Wrapped had promo running across out-of-home, digital, social, and on-platform in 31 markets. Some of the OOH promo included cheeky copy, like “Manhattan. Officially NYC’s most Nasty borough. You streamed Tinashe’s hit more than anywhere else in the city.” 

There were plenty of IRL activations for Wrapped as well. The brand hosted “Spotify’s Wrapped Universe” in Hollywood, where artists like Kesha and Normani performed. In London, there was a two-day Wrapped takeover of the Outernet where passersby could move through the space and display their own Wrapped. 

Other in-person celebrations were held in Argentina, Mexico, Indonesia, Thailand, Australia, India, Italy, Sweden, and South Africa. More events are set to happen throughout December in Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Pakistan, and Nigeria.

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The Results:

If you judged 2024 Wrapped based on social media conversations alone, you’d probably call it a flop. Listeners blasted the platform for relying too heavily on AI to create the content in Wrapped, with some blaming the company’s layoffs for the disappointing outcome. Users were disappointed that Sound Towns, playlists, top genres, and listening auras weren’t included in their Wrapped. Some even proclaimed the data seemed inaccurate and they would be switching to other platforms like Apple Music. 

Despite the negative response, Spotify said this year was the biggest year yet for Wrapped. 

“In the first 12 hours, this year’s Wrapped was the biggest we’ve seen, up over 26% compared to day one in 2023,” a spokesperson said. The company noted their internal engagement statistics showed a record number of individual shares, “the biggest volume we’ve ever seen across the entire experience.”

The Takeaways:

Marketers can learn a lot of lessons from Spotify’s 10-year-old campaign and its evolution. Here are a few of the big ones: 

1. Data Storytelling Drives Engagement

Spotify Wrapped exemplifies the power of data storytelling. By leveraging user-specific data, Spotify creates a deeply personalized experience that resonates emotionally with listeners. Wrapped goes beyond static stats—it transforms data into a narrative about the user’s year in music. From playlists like “Your Top Songs” to features like “Audio Aura,” Spotify taps into its audience’s identity and self-expression, making the campaign irresistibly shareable. Wrapped doesn’t just present facts; it tells users a story about themselves, through music.

As a marketer, think about how your brand can transform data into engaging stories. Whether it’s customer purchase patterns, product usage stats, or audience demographics, there’s likely untapped potential for personalization. Craft campaigns that make your audience feel seen and celebrated. Personalized stories make people more likely to share, amplifying organic reach and engagement, just like Wrapped does.

2. Consistency Builds Cultural Relevance

Since its launch in 2015, Spotify Wrapped has been a consistent, annual event, cementing its place in the cultural zeitgeist. By staying true to the campaign’s core—celebrating the listener while evolving features each year—Spotify has turned Wrapped into an eagerly anticipated moment. Its repetition creates familiarity, and incremental innovations like 2024’s “Music Evolution” and AI-generated “Audio Overview” keep it fresh. Wrapped isn’t just a campaign; it’s a tradition.

Marketers often chase novelty, but Spotify shows that consistency paired with evolution drives sustained impact. Build campaigns that your audience can look forward to year after year. Start with a strong concept, and over time, refine and expand its scope while staying true to its essence. Consistency creates brand loyalty and fosters a sense of ritual, encouraging long-term engagement.

3. Turn Campaigns into Shareable Moments

Spotify Wrapped thrives because it’s inherently shareable. By packaging user data into visually appealing, bite-sized content, Spotify encourages audiences to post their Wrapped results on social media. The campaign taps into people’s natural desire to showcase their identity and preferences. Whether it’s personalized playlists, quirky micro-genres, or top artist rankings, Wrapped offers users something unique to share with their networks, sparking conversations and extending the campaign’s reach organically.

Make your campaigns shareable by focusing on user-generated content (UGC). Create experiences or tools that your audience can easily customize and share, like templates, badges, or personalized insights. Highlighting individuality makes people more likely to spread the word, turning your customers into advocates. By fostering this kind of organic promotion, you can achieve a broader and more authentic impact without relying solely on paid media.

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