Playlist Timer is composed by a series of playlists that last exactly as long as the cooking time of different pasta shapes. By accessing Barilla Italia’s profile on Spotify users can discover a set of lists ranging in length from 9 to 11 minutes, each one matching a different music genre with a specific pasta shape.

The songs featured in the playlists are a mix of contemporary successes and evergreens, selected starting from Spotify’s data on the most streamed music genres. The selection had the objective of creating a user experience that feels like a familiar habit, listening to music while preparing your meal. By playing the playlist as you put the pasta in the boiling water, the songs turn into a timer for your pasta: as soon as the music ends, it’s time to drain it.

“Hey, you're listening to Playlist Timer. Check where you're at with the playlist, as soon as the music stops the pasta will be ready. Enjoy your meal.”

The activity takes advantage of an entertaining experience to solve a real consumer problem related to the product. More importantly, this is the first time a brand aims to add usefulness to playlists both on Spotify and on other streaming services.

We managed to achieve our goal by hijacking one of the platform’s most used features without adding new functions or complicating the user experience, simply creating sets that match the cooking time of a series of different pasta shapes. The simplicity of the whole project translated into an easy to use, unexpected feature for people.