Spotify and Coach will launch a global cultural partnership this fall, the companies announced during a brand loyalty session at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
The session, titled “Building What Money Can’t Buy: The New Rules of Brand Loyalty,” featured Coach CMO Joon Silverstein, artist Troye Sivan, Cosmopolitan and Seventeen Editor-in-Chief Willa Bennett, and Spotify’s Global Head of Business Marketing Bridget Evans. The panel explored how fashion, music, and identity intersect to create cultural connection.
“This is much more than a traditional brand collaboration,” Silverstein said. “It’s a cultural partnership built around self-expression, connection, and community. One of the biggest things we’ve learned about Gen Z is that what they wear, what they listen to, and the communities they belong to are all part of the same personal story. That’s what makes this partnership feel so natural. At Coach, self-expression lives in style. At Spotify, it lives in music. And what we’re building together goes beyond both.”
In a follow-up interview, Evans expanded on the partnership and the broader strategy for connecting brands with fans.
A partnership beyond logos
“We want it to feel like Spotify in real life,” Evans said. “People come to the platform with intention, they discover things that surprise them, they connect with artists and ideas they didn’t know they needed, and they feel something. We want Spotify Beach to do the same thing.”
She noted that Gen Z’s desire for connection aligns with how Coach enables self-expression and how Spotify serves as a daily companion.
“Music is a catalyst for real connection, on and offline. So when we looked at what Joon and her team have built, it just made sense. We’re excited to bring our flavors of fashion and music together in a way that feels real. That’s the kind of partnership we want to build more of. It’s not a media buy or a logo placement. Instead, both brands actually have something to contribute to the fan.”
Participation over sponsorship
“There was a time when showing up with a big enough activation meant something. Now, you can’t buy your way into culture. People see through that pretty quickly, and it’s become more competitive than ever. Brands that haven’t caught up to that reality show up at Cannes and wonder why their message isn’t landing, whereas the ones who’ve figured it out are building real relationships.”
She drew a distinction between traditional sponsorship and genuine participation.
“Traditional sponsorship is transactional. You pay to be there, you get your logo placement, and then it’s over. Participation is something different. It means you actually have something to contribute to the experience. The fans know when a brand is just renting space versus when it’s really adding something. Gen Z especially.”
When Spotify engages with potential partners, the central question is: “What do you actually have to offer fans? Not just, What do you want to say to them? The work that comes out of that question is almost always more interesting, and it tends to drive better results, too.”
Everyday moments and identity
“Because the ordinary moments are actually where identity gets formed. Your commute, the late night wind-down, a workout: those are times when you’re alone with what you love, and Spotify is there for all of it. For Gen Z especially, that depth of relationship builds real affinity. Our research is pretty clear that they feel like Spotify gets them. That kind of trust is rare.”
Spotify draws on over a decade of editorial expertise, data, and artist relationships to help brands incorporate music into their marketing strategy beyond simple placement, connecting them with artists and fans inside cultural moments that already have real energy.
Brands as cultural participants
Evans pointed to several recent activations where brands acted as participants rather than sponsors:
- NBC Peacock around NBA All-Star with RapCaviar.
- Hilton sponsoring Spotify’s annual Best New Artists celebration.
- LinkedIn and John Summit threw a surprise corporate rave to celebrate his sophomore album.
- At CMA Fest, Mountain Dew brought Fresh Finds Country to life with a live rooftop show featuring emerging artists.
“The Coach partnership announced at Cannes is the most ambitious version of that yet,” Evans said.
Loyalty in action
“Loyalty at scale isn’t measured in impressions; it’s visible in action. When fans are truly loyal, they want to consume and create. On Spotify, fandom means building something around the things they love.”
She cited a 235% global increase in playlist creation on Spotify related to a major football tournament, totaling over 1.6 billion playlists. “Fans aren’t just watching the matches, they’re extending that moment with Spotify as their constant companion.”
To mark the tournament’s opening day, Spotify and Celsius energy drinks hosted a pregame party at Academy LA with DJ performances, interactive activations, and custom merch, blending music and sports.
