Budweiser has launched a new initiative dubbed “UninterruptAds” that turns songs that mention the Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) brand into targeted ads on Spotify, according to details shared with Marketing Dive. The initiative is based in Brazil and was strategized in collaboration with Africa Creative Agency.
'UninterruptAds' was inspired by the discovery that Budweiser's name was present among the over 500 different songs available on Spotify. The initiative is also based on the idea that for users who aren't subscribed to Spotify's ad-free premium version, the platform's music experience is often interrupted by ads. Through this initiative, songs like “My Luv” by Brazilian artist Café were strategically programmed to be promoted in genre-specific playlists, increasing brand awareness without stopping the music. .
The AB InBev brand initiative was launched in April and aims to strengthen its connection with the music scene, especially among fans and artists who have been indirectly promoting the brand for many years. A 40 second video helps explain activation. This can serve as a more organic way to connect with consumers by delivering them songs that already match the genre of music they're interested in.
Budweiser's activation puts a unique spin on the traditional idea of audio advertising, which has gained traction in recent years. The global digital audio advertising market is expected to reach $11.78 billion this year. Last August, Spotify and WPP entered into a global partnership to provide ad ownership groups with additional access to the audio streaming platform's advertising products and data. Finding ways to properly integrate ads into your stream is critical to keeping consumers engaged and engaged with your platform. Spotify surpassed its 500 million monthly active user mark in 2023, but the percentage of users paying for the premium version of the service at the time remained at 40%. .
In the first quarter of 2024, Spotify had 239 million premium members, an increase of 14% year-over-year. The platform's profitability is showing “record strength,” while total monthly active users rose 19% to 615 million, an increase of 13 million compared to the same period a year ago, beating guidance of 3 million. It was reported that it was below. The company laid off 17% of its workforce in December.
Budweiser has often focused on music in its marketing, and the partnership with Spotify further strengthens that move and could also help the beer maker reach younger audiences. In 2022, the brand offered Twitch streamers royalty-free music to use in their videos, allowing them to avoid being blocked for using music they don't own the rights to. Additionally, as part of its campaign around the FIFA World Cup, the beer invited over 100 influencers to participate in Lil Baby's music video for “The World is Yours To Take.”
