Our idea is to create the first playlist that can reset the Spotify algorithm, thus we simply called it “Reset by Fnac”

Because sometimes, for different reasons, you have to play music you don’t really like with your Spotify account, this data can mislead the algorithm which will always recommend more of what you have played. In this case, you are locked in a very annoying filter bubble, and as the algorithm is impossible to reset, there is no way out.

FNAC created a playlist on which most of the genres and sub-genres available on the platform will be represented.

Every song played from the playlist will slowly but truly mislead the algorithm again and reset it. This is how you burst the filter bubble in which users can unfortunately be.

Fnac is the iconic cultural retailer in France, fighting for culture’s openness since 1954. By being a store where culture was lived and not just consumed, Fnac occupied an important place in French minds and hearts. But Fnac has undergone the massive disruption of the culture, the same one that has empowered platforms while killing so many traditional players: dematerialization. The brand was losing its relevance and progressively its connection with French people.

We needed to fight back to regain consideration, love and to make Fnac a place to be again.

To exist in the world of platforms, we needed to act as a counter-power. We had to make the weaknesses of platforms our strengths.

So, we decided to run a fight model against model.

Platforms are made of powerful recommendation algorithms.

Fnac will fight with its human advisors. It’s how it started. And the playground was super rich.

The growing awareness of the issue of recommendation algorithms is obviously going beyond French borders. However, you need to keep in mind that the concept of cultural openness is really something that matters in France, embodied by the political idea of the “French cultural exception”. For instance, in the past it was about protecting the French cinema against the power of the Hollywood industry. In this way, even if not directly communicated like this, our fight towards the power machine of a leading platform like Spotify was also a way to nurture this imaginary of the small player trying to resist against big ones, like David and Goliath. French people love this mindset.

The campaign will be launched on April 4th but the playlist is already live.

So for now it’s a bit too early to have proper results.

Go and check the “Reset by Fnac” playlist to reset your own algorithm!

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