Trending PR Campaigns
Spotify 20th Anniversary Disco-Ball Icon
To mark its 20th anniversary, Spotify temporarily swapped its regular mobile app icon for a green disco-ball motif tied to an in-app “Spotify 20: Your Party of the Year(s)” experience; the unexpected visual change sparked widespread user backlash and media coverage, and Spotify announced it would revert to the standard 2D logo the following week.
Why it worked: A forced, high-visibility UI disruption (icon swap) created instant user backlash on home screens, giving journalists a timely controversy-plus-explainer peg.
The lesson: Consider a reversible, time-boxed product visual change that prompts screenshots and confusion, then pitch the why-now explainer with a revealable data easter egg.
Coverage over time
How this story spread across the media