Thanks 2016, Japan. It’s Been Weird.
To highlight the freedom of creating playlists on Spotify, we launched a campaign in Japan that built on a U.S. success. From thousands of user-made playlists, we picked out quirky titles and replied with witty comments.
One favorite was “Quiet Focus Like a Forest.” The playlist was full of Enya and ambient tracks, but we realized forests aren’t so peaceful—wild animals, buzzing insects, and sudden rainstorms make them anything but quiet. So we joked: “Can you really focus in a forest?”
These playful interactions sparked buzz and grew into a large-scale campaign, extending beyond film to massive OOH displays and full train-station takeovers across Japan.
Spotify stage
At Japan’s biggest music festival, Countdown Japan, we built the Spotify Stage—a rising platform that gave everyday fans the thrill of making a superstar entrance. For most, stepping onto a stage that literally lifted them into the spotlight was an experience they’d never have otherwise.
Festivalgoers grabbed instruments and props, made their “big entrance” to loud applause, and had the whole scene captured from three angles. Within minutes, an edited video—just like the one shown here—was sent straight to their phones, ready to post on social media. (I tried it myself, and the video you see is in the exact same format participants received.)
It became a unique festival highlight that turned ordinary fans into unforgettable superstars—even if just for a moment.