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AKQA and Coala.Lab announced a partnership to develop music-centered work connecting artists, brands and audiences through music videos, films, campaigns and experiences. The 7 July 2021 launch was reported by LBBOnline; the agencies described the partnership as a way to bring artists into creative work throughout a project, rather than using them only as brand ambassadors.
What AKQA Coala.Lab was set up to do
AKQA’s announcement presented the collaboration as a platform for music-related creative work: artists could develop their stories through music videos, films and experiences, while brands could participate in culture through a substantive contribution. Gabriel Andrade, Coala curator and founding partner, was named Music Lead of AKQA Coala.Lab.
Andrade said project development could consider a range of artist touchpoints, including streaming platforms, tours, music videos and records. The principle was to treat artists as creative agents across the process, not simply as the public face of a brand campaign. In the announcement, Andrade said brands should genuinely participate and contribute to music culture rather than merely claim a connection to it.
The partnership’s starting point: Baco Exu do Blues’s Bluesman
AKQA said its first collaboration with Coala dates to 2018, when they worked on Baco Exu do Blues’s Bluesman album campaign. The agency reported that the album surpassed 280 million streams and that the campaign coincided with a 495 per cent increase in the artist’s monthly Spotify listeners. AKQA did not state the year for those figures in the announcement, and they should be understood as agency-reported results rather than independently verified measurements.
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AKQA also said the campaign’s launch film won Cannes Lions’ first Brazilian Entertainment for Music Grand Prix. Taken together, the album campaign and film provide the clearest example in the announcement of the kind of music-centered work the partnership aimed to build on.
How the cited projects differ
The examples AKQA cited show several formats for connecting music and brand work. The agency describes the projects and their outcomes; the announcement does not provide independently verified audience-impact data for them.
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| Project | Format and music connection | Reported outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Baco Exu do Blues, Bluesman | Album campaign and launch film; the collaboration AKQA identified as its first with Coala, dating to 2018. | AKQA reported more than 280 million streams, a 495 per cent increase in monthly Spotify listeners coinciding with the campaign, and a Cannes Lions Grand Prix for the launch film. |
| Emicida, AmarElo, with Deezer | 60-second video that AKQA framed as an invitation to silence. | AKQA reported a Cannes Lion in 2021. |
| Nike, “The Awakening in Dance” | Film featuring dance group Black Tourmalines and singer Ludmilla; AKQA described it as a platform for collective empowerment and Black culture. | AKQA reported Cannes recognition. |
| Beck’s Frequency | Project connecting the brand with Brazilian DJs, including Vintage Culture, and using music and innovation to drive brand interest and engagement. | AKQA reported Gold and Silver Lions. |
The announcement’s examples vary in what they establish: some are artist or album-led campaigns, while others frame music as part of a broader brand platform. Its descriptions do not offer the same level of detail about each artist’s role, the brand’s contribution, or audience response, so awards and agency-stated metrics are not interchangeable evidence of impact.
Coala’s place in Brazilian music
AKQA said Coala began as a São Paulo festival in 2014. The agency described its programming as spanning established Brazilian artists such as Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil and Milton Nascimento, alongside newer acts including Xenia França, Duda Beat and ÀTTØØXXÁ. That background helps explain why the partnership emphasized cultural participation and music knowledge.
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AKQA also listed work involving Usher, Kevin o Chris, DKVPZ, BaianaSystem, As Baías, Bivolt, Som Livre, Criolo, Milton Nascimento, Nego Bala and Yo Yo Ma. The announcement gives no comparable project detail for every name, so these are best read as examples of the broader roster rather than equivalent case studies.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the announcement does not establish
Although LBBOnline’s headline called the arrangement a joint venture, the consulted launch coverage and AKQA announcement do not spell out its legal structure, ownership allocation, governance, investment or commercial terms. They also do not establish whether AKQA Coala.Lab is still operating today. The available material supports describing the 2021 announcement as a music-focused creative partnership, not making claims about its present status or financial arrangement.
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