Until now, Spotify’s marketing offerings for brands lived within its own platform. Those options have included audio spots, display and video ad experiences, as well as sponsored and branded podcasts. Now it’s breaking out of the streaming world and into the real one with live events for brands.

For its inaugural “Hear for It” series, Spotify is teaming with Ferrero-owned Tic Tac on a pair of back-to-back music-driven experiences in Los Angeles the first week of December.

Spotify will identify the target audience and send listeners on-platform ads inviting them to join the real-world event. In an age of device overload, it's "crucial for brands to come to life beyond the digital world by creating real-life experiences that are both interactive and culturally relevant," Danielle Lee, Spotify's VP-global head of partner solutions, said in a statement.

For the experience, Tic Tac didn’t want to be just a “logo on a wall,” says Felipe Riera Michelotti, VP-marketing of Tic Tac North America at Ferrero USA Inc. The two nights each have a theme that pays homage to the candy's most recognizable flavors: minty-fresh and fruity. 

Spotify describes the Tic Tac program as "immersive, multi-sensory experiences" that will take place at historic L.A.-based venue The Mint over two nights. The first, with the theme “Vol 1: Sounds Refreshing,” will feature singer-songwriter Ella Vos, followed by “Vol 2: Sounds Delicious” the following evening, when Texas band Surfaces takes the stage to perform their feel-good tunes.

Those who can’t make the events can access curated playlists featuring those artists. 

Michelotti says music has become an increasingly significant part of the brand’s marketing strategy. “It’s all about sharing something special with others, sharing that moment,” he says. That idea parallels consumers’ typical experience of enjoying Tic Tac, since the ritual of pulling out a container typically means also offering the candy to those around you. 

The brand's previous music initiatives included sponsorship of the iHeartRadio 2019 Las Vegas Musical Festival, which included a promotion that featured specially designed packaging consumers were encouraged to shake to the music.

With Spotify, the brand was looking to create a unique, exclusive experience that would go beyond the traditional ad buy, Michelotti says. “It’s hard to break through the clutter, so what we need to do is look at unique and distinctive ways for the brand to come to life in a natural way, that consumers will have fun with.”