Danone links illustrated yogurt packaging to Spotify playlists

Brief:

French food group Danone teamed up with Spotify on an artistic campaign for its Light & Free yogurts aimed at young adults. The "Light and Free Ink" campaign in the U.K. includes customized packaging with Spotify QR codes that unlock a curated playlist until March 31, Mobile Marketing Magazine reported.
U.K. street artist Nerone, designer Morag Myerscough, illustrator Justin Poulter and graphic artist Neil Stevens designed the Light & Free packaging and selected songs for each Spotify playlist.
Danone will run video and display ads on Spotify to urge listeners to visit a music hub for Light & Free, a sugar- and fat-free Greek yogurt that comes in eight flavors.

Insight:

Danone's latest Light & Free campaign is part of a growing trend among consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies that are seeking to appeal to younger, tech-savvy adults by integrating their packaging with immersive mobile experiences. By partnering with artists on packaging and playlists, Danone can demonstrate that it's attuned to millennial tastes. Emmanuel Faber, chief executive of Danone, discussed how millennials want "authentic products" at last year's CAGNY conference.

Other major CPG companies have incorporated mobile experiences to their packaging. Mondelez last month placed Snapcodes on 134 million packages of Oreo cookies sold in Europe. By scanning the codes with Snapchat, mobile users could unlock a cookie-themed augmented reality (AR) lens, filters and digital stickers of "Oreoji" characters. Energy drink Red Bull has run several campaigns that integrated its packaging with mobile experiences, including one in November that unlocked exclusive brand-themed game content in the mobile version of "Pac-Man."

For Spotify, a big sponsor like Danone is a sign that the music streaming service is getting more brands on board with its ad platform. While monthly subscription fees are a source of steady revenue, Spotify has 116 million users who listen to its free, ad-supported service. Its ad sales grew 34% to $199 million in Q4 2018 from a year earlier to make up about 12% of total revenue. The high growth rate suggests that it can be a steady stream of income for Spotify, which this month reported a profit for the first time in its 13-year history.