Spotify Makes 2023 Version of 'Wrapped' Its Biggest Campaign Ever

Spotify unveiled its 2023 "Wrapped" campaign today, marking the ninth edition of its iconic year-ender that gauges major trends across the pop-culture landscape. 

This year, the mega-media blitz focuses on keeping things real.

"In a world when it's sometimes hard to know what content is AI-generated and what is not, we decided to celebrate all of the 'realest' moments we experienced together this year,” says Marie Roenn, global group creative director at Spotify.

As always, the "Wrapped" platform presents pop-culture preferences based on the streamer's treasure trove of data. The new edition spotlights leading artists, songs, albums and podcasts to reveal how 574 million users around the world listened to music and consumed content all year long.

The biggest insight for this year: You can't fake a feeling or emotion. "Our listeners and creators felt and heard it all in 2023," says Roenn.

Working from that insight, Spotify wove vibrant visuals into a bevy of video, digital and OOH placements. Motion in its many forms plays a key role, as flowing from one track or topic to the next is integral to the contemporary media scene. So, "Wrapped" combines bold images and digital sketches to craft a bold (and informative) fusion of the physical and digital worlds.

The constant drive to add subscribers and creators necessitates expanding how the company communicates with both camps. To that end, the full "Wrapped" effect hits 31 countries, including the U.S., Brazil, Mexico and the UAE, with elements spanning 170 markets. Per Spotify, in terms of potential reach, this stands as brand's biggest-ever campaign.

Cheeky, lie-detector-themed ads riff on relationships in music, with specific artists fêted in various ways. For example, a tiny billboard of rapper Lil Yachty will appear on a toy yacht in Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Park to celebrate his latest album.

This year, Spotify has created numerous "Wrapped" partnerships. These include a tie-in with FC Barcelona, allowing fans to learn players' fave tracks, as well as their views on a range of subjects. Fans can also find special videos of Robert Lewandowski, Alexia Putella and Pedri. What's more, "Wrapped" will feature on LED screens at high-profile men's and women's matches.

Spotify also partnered with Roblox to reach gamers in the metaverse, Roenn says. 

People can also sample the campaign through smart technology. Users can ask Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri to play their top songs of 2023 with "Wrapped."

"With this year's campaign, we want to make sure we invite the world to learn more about themselves, to learn more about their communities, and moments and culture that define the year for all of us," Roenn says.