Spotify Hits 2024: Honouring the audio ads that captured attention

In today’s world of shrinking digital attention spans, audio ads continue to stand out. Spotify’s annual Sonic Science research highlights why this medium remains so effective. An impressive 63% of listeners see Spotify as an essential part of their daily lives, engaging actively with music and podcasts instead of treating them as mere background noise. 

Moreover, this level of engagement extends to advertisements, with biometric data showing that 60% of listeners maintain elevated physiological engagement during ads. Additionally, 73% of listeners are open to exposure to ads in all formats that align with their current activities, emphasising the unique ability of audio to connect with audiences in meaningful, context-driven moments. 

Spotify Hits 2024, a curated showcase of exceptional advertising campaigns, marked its Indian debut this November. With over 100 nominations assessed by Spotify, experts in marketing, branding, media, and research with the best campaigns were honored during an event at JW Marriott, Juhu, Mumbai, on November 27th. Leaders from 45+ brands and their agency partners gathered to celebrate nine finalists, enjoy campaign screenings, and revel in a musical performance by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. 

Among the highlights were two standout campaigns that showcased the power of audio. Let’s take a look at them: 

1. Wakefit

While the challenges of sleep deprivation among urban professionals are well-known due to their hectic days, Wakefit managed to approach the topic in a creative way. On World Sleep Day, Wakefit’s Spotify campaign cleverly used humor to spotlight relatable sleep struggles, turning a routine sale message into an engaging narrative. The results? A reach of 2 million unique users and a 0.23% clickthrough rate.

This creativity earned Wakefit recognition in the Future Sounds category, celebrating forward-thinking audio advertising.

Commenting on this win, Phalguni Aneja, Brand Head at Wakefit said, “Audio can be a very effective medium when used well. Spotify offered us the perfect platform—and we brought together humour and creativity to land a message that was relatable to the audience and positioned Wakefit as the mattress that has your back. Being recognized on Spotify Hits reinforces our belief in the potential of innovative audio storytelling,”.

2. Make My Trip

Moving further, Make My Trip’s campaign leveraged the power of 3D audio, in an attempt to transport listeners to dream destinations. By incorporating evocative sounds like waves and wind, the campaign reached 4.8 million users and achieved a 0.3% clickthrough rate.

Consequently, the campaign earned wins in the Ear Candy category, which applauded the brand’s sound design and audio experiences.

Unlike traditional award programs, Spotify Hits takes a unique approach by evaluating campaigns across eight distinct categories. These categories are designed to assess not just creative ideation but also media strategy and the overall business impact of the campaigns. Moreover, the event spotlighted some of the most innovative campaigns, including those from well-known brands like ITC Bingo, Samsung, Yamaha, Uppercase, Royal Enfield, Mother Dairy, and Goibibo, among others, showcasing a diverse range of industries and creative approaches. 

“These campaigns show that audio plays a very important supporting role in a holistic marketing campaign—it can be an essential medium for brands to connect with their audiences,” said Niyati Sah, Enterprise Marketing Lead, India & SEA, Spotify India. “When you get your message right and in front of the right audience, people don’t just hear it—they pay attention, they remember. It’s great to see brands leveraging Spotify’s ad platform capabilities to try fresh, bold creative approaches.”

You can learn more about the event here: https://hits2024india.splashthat.com/.