Today we’re throwing it back to 2016 marketing magic. Do you guys remember that Spotify campaign where they brilliantly turned user data into hilarious, relatable billboards? In a year when data collection was starting to get controversial, Spotify threw us a curveball — instead of making it creepy, they made it funny, personal, and impossible not to share. The result? Thanks, 2016. It’s Been Weird. A love letter to the oddities of our listening habits, splashed across cities with gems like:
“Dear person who played ‘Sorry’ 42 times on Valentine’s Day, what did you do?”
Suddenly, strangers’ music quirks became shared inside jokes we all got to enjoy.
It was personal, but on a global stage, and the hashtag #Thanks2016 made you want to see your habits in lights. Spotify proved data could feel human — and even joyful — when told as a story.
And it makes you wonder… what if Netflix pulled a full-on Spotify and turned our binge habits into public inside jokes? Picture massive billboards in Times Square, LA, London, all reading things like:
“To the 3 million people who binged ‘Squid Game’ in one night… should we be worried or impressed?”
“To the 800,000 people who paused ‘Wednesday’ during the dance scene… practicing, aren’t you?”
“Dear person who binged ‘Money Heist’ 4 times… are you planning something?”
“To the 1.2 million people who finished ‘Stranger Things’ Season 4 in one night… Vecna is impressed.”
It would be part roast, part love letter — proof that even the most anonymous data can feel human when it’s turned into a shared wink between brand and audience. That’s the magic Spotify tapped into in 2016, and honestly? I believe it would be a very bold move for Netflix to get just as weird.
What show would you want to see featured on a billboard? Drop your ideas in the comments!
Marketing Chronicles 
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