Children of the '80s will no doubt feel a deep pang of nostalgia when they see "The Neverending Story" characters Atreyu and Falkor soaring together through the skies, once again, as Limahl sings the title track of the classic fantasy film in a new campaign from Spotify.
However, the scene is not a clip from the original movie -- it takes place in the present, the characters 30-plus years older. "I can't believe after all these years, people are still listening to the song," Atreyu, now a man, says to his pal. "Me neither! Ha ha ha!" dog-dragon Falkor, as fluffy as ever, guffaws back. The spot goes on to say, "'Never Ending Story' by Limahl: Still Streamed Every Day."
The ad reveals just one of the interesting factoids illustrated in Spotify's new brand campaign, created out of Wieden & Kennedy New York and beginning today. The idea is that behind every track on Spotify, there's a story -- one created by its users. It's the first big effort under new CMO Seth Farbman, who joined the company last year following his four-year tenure at The Gap, where he previously worked with Wieden & Kennedy.
Another ad in the campaign stars nuns in a church, nodding their heads to a rock track, then reveals that Pope Francis dropped a rock album that has 1,500 listeners a week. A third spot capitalizes on election season and depicts a couple on the road pulling their home on a trailer as they bop their heads to Flo Rida's "My House." That one's aimed at folks who may decide to move to Canada come November, and notes that the track has been added to hundreds of "Moving" playlists on Spotify.
The spots will run on TV, in movie theaters and online. The campaign also includes print and outdoor featuring imagery from the commercials and pointing to dedicated URLs that send listeners to specially curated playlists: Neverending80s.com, MovingUptoCanada.com and RockingNuns.com. Denizens of Manhattan and Williamsburg, Brooklyn, will also be treated to a giant hand-painted mural of Atreyu riding Falkor.