Spotify hits the right note with nostalgic Gen Xers

Spotify’s ‘Listen Like You Used To’ campaign was a triumphant hit with Gen Xers. The out-of-home ads were witty, nostalgic, and brutally honest, and the clever copy compares big bands from the ’79 – ’99 era with the realities of Gen Xers’ lives today.

The ads are by London-based agency Who Wot Why, who know how to write simple and highly effective copy. Sean Thompson, one of their founders, said, “Spotify totally get the art of great, punchy copywriting with a strong and provocative subject.”

The campaign is simple but perfect, because it speaks directly to Gen Xers in a way that makes them laugh, remember, and listen. It also appeals to millennials, who are rediscovering the bands of their parents’ generation (yes, Smashing Pumpkins are ‘retro’ now). The campaign copy featured band names and song titles and tide them to relatively mundane tasks and topical references e.g. Smashing Pumpkins in ‘95 to Smashing Avocados in ‘19.

Spotify tapped into their unique data insights to discover the most popular bands and songs with Gen Xers which were also seeing a resurgence among younger audiences. The research also proved that Gen X’s music tastes are shaped by their teenage years. So, if someone loved UB40 at 15, they’ll likely still love them at 50.

This a great campaign that showed minimalist copy can garner attention while being funny, relatable, and eye-catching. There is no doubt these units made people stop, take notice and, at the very least, smile.