Who We Be

Amplify + Spotify turn a playlist into a movement…

Challenge

Amplify were challenged by Spotify’s to grow their 'Who We Be' playlist into a cultural platform, community and series of physical experiences. Once exclusively underground, Grime, Rap and Hip-Hop have opened up to a broader, more accessible audience and are in high demand – authenticity is essential to this young audience when turning their playlist into a live platform.

To be inspired by, connect with and collaborate with the artists, culture and community to ensure the 'Who We Be' platform reflects and creates trends, bringing the sounds to a wider audience but always with authenticity and originality.

Solution

Setting the stage for a showcase performance

Launching Who We Be in 2017, we created a fully immersive brand experience for playlist fans creating an iconic 10,000 capacity show at Alexandra Palace alongside an integrated campaign across owned channels, artist channels, PR, content, digital and OOH.

With tickets sold out weeks in advance, Spotify built the stage for performances from the likes of Cardi B, J Hus, Dizzee Rascal, Giggs and more. Creating a bold and striking visual identity, we built a unique stage canvas for content and animation that established a playlist presence that undeniably belonged to Spotify.

A cultural collaboration continuining to grow

Transforming the Who We Be’s identity in 2018, we brought to life the world of our artists with cutting-edge animated content that spanned website, outdoor branding and new stage architecture as the experience returned to Alexandra Palace with another AAA line-up that featured the likes of AJ Tracey, French Montana, Ghetts and Tory Lanez.

However, in 2019 the Who We Be platform left London and moved to Manchester’s Victoria Warehouse. A show supported by a month-long cultural campaign across artists and Spotify social channels, the gig was headlined by local rising star Aitch and showed how the playlist continued to influence where the music featuring on it comes from.

With vertical stage architecture designed to encourage the capture of portrait content, we successfully turned Who We Be into a content engine powered by our audience and experienced way beyond those in attendance.