The North Face and rock band White Denim release a rain-triggered single for Spotify
Outdoor apparel company the North Face has blurred the lines between music and advertising by working with rock band White Denim to release a song on Spotify that is only available in locations where it is raining.
Seek No Shelter
Following up on Rimmel London’s branded music video featuring Cara Delevigne which put the product front and centre of the creative, the North Face is promoting its Apex Flex GTX waterproof jacket. It will feature during the live performance of the song at SXSW which will see the band drenched by an internal storm on stage Thursday, 16 March at The Fader Fort.
The campaign urges the public to embrace the elements through listening to the song ‘Rain Drop’ – which marks a first for Spotify’s ad wing, it will be the first song released geotargeting technology – in this case, rainy areas.
"Our entire brand is based around the idea that adverse and changing conditions aren't just to be tolerated, they are what shapes a great life lived outdoors," said vice president of marketing at the North Face, Tom Herbst.
"For this campaign, we want to change the way people think about rain – as not something to hide from, but something to be sought out and celebrated. Dropping a song only when it is raining is designed to delight, inspire and mimic the same sense of anticipation and excitement that you have when heading into the wild."
The single, and a relevant playlist can be unlocked here.
The campaign represents just the iceberg of how the company is marketing around music, most recently, via a partnership with Disney, Spotify has rolled out a Beauty and the Beast hub - signifying users a room in the iconic castle from the movie.
Spotify has been using weather data to enrich its offering (in addition to understanding how the elements inspire our listening habits). Last month it partnered with AccuWeather to accumulate this real-time data.