Dive Brief:

• Barilla launched a collection of eight Spotify playlists with running times equal to the cooking times of different pasta shapes. The "Playlist Timer" campaign was created by agency Publicis Italy.
• The playlists combine the four most popular genres in Italy (pop, hip-hop, indie and classic hits) with pastas spaghetti, linguine, fusilli and penne rigate. The playlists will be updated periodically to offer listeners variety, and are titled "Mixtape Spaghetti," "Boom Bap Fusilli," "Pleasant Melancholy Penne," "Moody Day Linguine," "Top Hits Spaghetti," "Best Song Penne," "Timeless Emotion Fusilli" and "Simply Classics Linguine."
• With the effort, the world's largest pasta company can tap into branded music and playlists that have increased in popularity as a marketing tactic, while engaging with consumers who are cooking more pasta at home as the pandemic persists.

Dive Insight:

Barilla's "Playlist Timer" campaign is a playful way for the food giant to offer a branded experience that provides a utility for homebound consumers while addressing how many consumers like to listen to music while they cook. The brand's Spotify playlists are an innovative, entertaining way to help home cooks prepare various pastas with an untraditional timer they may enjoy using at a time when some are getting bored of cooking from home. 

Integrations with streaming platforms with Spotify help brands be a bigger part of culture. Last year, Campbell Soups snack brand Late July took over "Summer on Spotify" playlists as part of its first national ad campaign. Previously, KFC France created a playlist for Spotify that showcased various hip-hop songs in which the brand is mentioned, while Vans partnered with the platform for its "Off the Wall Wednesday" playlist.

This type of integration has become more useful for brands as they seek to engage consumers who are spending more time at home because of the coronavirus pandemic and are looking for entertainment or relaxation. Red Lobster last year created a Spotify playlist to serve as mood music for date night within a campaign around its takeout business. Meanwhile, Dove teamed with Pandora on a playlist intended to bring the tropics to consumers in moments of relaxing self-care. Barilla's Spotify tie-up seeks to make cooking pasta more entertaining, especially as consumers become increasingly fatigued about cooking at home.