Spotify campaign; a much-needed mood changer

I have Spotify application in my mobile, majority of us do. The irony of the matter is that despite free access to music, the 24-hour day hardly give us any time of our own to listen to our favorite songs. Technological advancements cut both ways. If Spotify gives me the freedom to listen to music, WhatsApp takes away my freedom. I am 24 hours available to my employer. How many of us can say, “Boss we did not see your message” when ticks are doubled and blue.

Since the so-called ‘Azadi of Media’ our viewership and consequently the point of discussions spin around current affairs. What happens in the political arena and how it is portrayed on our news media are enough to bombard our senses with drama, suspense, thrill, action and music. The aesthetic and imaginative forest of the brain is flattened out. There is little room in this barren wasteland for anything as rosy as Spotify.

Can you listen to some great soul stirring music when the only thought in your mind is to fill your vehicle tanks before the clock strikes 12 am? Or can you enjoy music when your hear that Rupee will keep on devaluating and there is going to be a wheat crisis, there will be food shortages and the list of horrible things to happen in the foreseeable future goes on.

Spotify ‘Jaisa Mood Waisi Dhun’ campaign is a much-needed jolt we all need to create a sense of emotional balance in our lives. I am a music lover myself but days, sometimes weeks go by without listening to any of my playlists. Music has the power to change our brain chemistry instantly. It is the greatest therapy any mind can have. The current, probably the first, nationwide campaign will not only lift the mood of millions of Pakistanis but also result in steep hike in Spotify downloads.

The campaign includes three commercials each containing a different taste of music. It is good to have the representation of veterans like Strings’ Faisal Kapadia and freshly baked Young Stunners among others. Though concept wise, the commercials are not as creative as the Indian Spotify campaigns usually are, yet when music is involved, nothing can be boring.

The Swedish music streaming application came to Pakistan in February last year. It has succeeded in capturing a huge fan base since inception giving a tough time to its German counterpart SoundCloud. In our entertainment-deprived social atmosphere Spotify is the best mood changer.