Spotify leveraged its front of shirt sponsorship of Spanish giant FC Barcelona in a collaboration with Latin singer Karol G marking her Spanish streaming dominance which blended sport and music via a bespoke playlist, an exclusive Barca team shirt and t-shirt with the singer’s logo and a capsule collection of merchandising products.
The activation, which continued music platform Spotify’s strategy of bringing together legends from the worlds of music and football celebrated Karol G’s continued status as the female Latin artist with the most views on the platform and the most listened to female artist in Spain 2023.
Working with Double Tap, the idea behind the alliance and the copy in the accompanying press release was that this collaboration is ‘as a tribute to those people who change the rules of the game, overcome obstacles and leave a legacy so that the next generation can express themselves freely both on and off the field’.
The activation was launched on the pitch: firstly during the 13 April F League match between FC Barcelona Femenino against Villarreal Femenino when the home team wore a one-off bespoke kit featuring Karol G’s heart logo front and centre and then continuing on 21 April when the limited edition kit was worn by the men’s team during El Clásico de La Liga for the match against Real Madrid.
On the club’s website, the entire collection of 22 shirts worn and signed by the 11 starting players of the men’s and women’s teams was also available for purchase.
While a further strand of the campaign, inspired by the year the club was founded, saw 1,899 exclusive t-shirts made available to its fans.
Plus, as part of the initiative, FC Barcelona launched a special edition of the popular ‘Barça Matchday’ playlist on Spotify with songs to motivate players and fans in the moments before the match which is led by Karol G tracks.
This was backed by a social campaign running across all three parties owned channels which was supported by a PR push.
The content and copy invited those wanting to purchase both the shirt and the limited edition merchandising items (which include sweatshirts, scarves, hats and water bottles) to visit the FCBarca Official Store from 12 April 12.
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“We are very proud to celebrate the incredible success of KAROL G through the iconic Barça shirt. Her music exudes a unique passion similar to that of the football club and it is incredible to unite the two. As the biggest Latin artist on Spotify and a pioneer in her field, we knew that KAROL G was a perfect teammate for FC Barcelona.”
Spotify Vice President of Partnerships and Marketing Marc Hazan
“This collaboration is a very special moment for the entire club. Music and football form an incredible connection and bond for our players and our fans, and this marks another exciting chapter in our collaboration with Spotify.”
FC Barcelona Vice President of Marketing Juli Guiu
“The heart symbol represents, in what became the ‘Bichota’ style, a moment in my life in which I found strength, resistance and support. Being able to see it on the front of an inspiring t-shirt. That same energy, thanks to Spotify and FC Barcelona, is really significant.”
Karol G
Of course, this is not the first time that Spotify has leveraged its front of shirt deal to unite musical and footballing stars.
Previous collaborations include 2023 tie-ups between FC Barcelona and The Rolling Stones and between Barca and Catalan singer Rosalia.