PDX—NYC
Taylor Swift hit 26B+ streams in 2023, making her Spotify's Global Top Artist of the year. Knowing Swift communicates with her fans through cryptic clues, we decided to announce her achievement by hiding the news in a puzzle. We scattered 21 pieces on billboards in 11 countries. Each media placement, a different piece for the internet to find and put together. What started as an OOH campaign became a social game for Swifties across 16 time zones.
Once Swifties solved the puzzle, we flipped every media placement from a clue to the final reveal. Beyond OOH, we also quietly hid pieces on Spotify’s social handles and on platform. This got users streaming even more of Swift’s music during their search for clues.
As a gift to Swifties for their hard work, we surprised them with a film that brought the puzzle to life. Our film featured 100+ Easter eggs, spanning Swift’s entire catalog and viral moments from her year. It was shared by Taylor and so embraced by Swifties they thought it came from the artist herself.
What could have been a straightforward announcement, instead became an overnight obsession for millions of Swifties. Their sudden traffic may or may not have crashed Spotify. I legally can’t confirm or deny that. But I’ll just leave this here.
