Holiday Hits Different: Pandora's 30-Day Brand Sprint

At the height of the pandemic, people weren’t traveling or gathering, but music still had the power to bring people together. Pandora’s winter brand campaign aimed to meet that moment with a simple idea…even if the holidays look different, they can still feel special.

CHALLENGE: As the holidays approached in a still-not-quite-normal 2020, Pandora needed a brand campaign that felt human, festive, and real. We had just 30 days to concept, produce, and deliver a national brand campaign that not only lifted holiday spirits, but also would introduce listeners to Modes, a new feature that lets you customize stations by mood or vibe. Our job was to translate that product story into something people could actually feel.

INSIGHT: We leaned into the reality of the moment. Instead of fighting production constraints, we embraced them; crafting a message around nostalgia, comfort, and connection, supported by a socially distanced shoot day, custom animations, and a surprise Zoom cameo from the artist, Sia.

ACTION: As the Creative Project Manager, I partnered with Brand Marketing, Artist Marketing, Product teams and Legal to keep the campaign aligned and on track. I worked closely with UI/UX designers and developers to ensure UI assets were visually precise and aligned with Pandora’s product storytelling standards. When the artist, Sia, expressed interest in being part of the campaign, I worked with our content licensing and legal teams to fast-track image and music licensing; clearing usage without holding up creative. I made sure legal and creative stayed in sync so nothing slipped through the cracks. I also managed campaign timelines, oversaw post-production workflows, and routed over 50 video deliverables across multiple channels, from TV to media kits to social. On a weekly basis, we focused not just on creative readiness for the brand spot, but also on refining how the user experience would unfold on platform.

OUTCOME: The campaign drove a 340% increase in listening on Pandora’s Holiday Hits Radio and lifted brand affinity by 6 points and recommendation intent by 7 points (control vs. exposed). It aired nationally, including placements on Jimmy Kimmel Live and AMC’s Best Christmas Ever lineup.