Spotify will hide coded alien messages in playlists as part of a new partnership with Syfy for their upcoming show ‘Hunters’.

Product placement isn’t new to TV programmes, but what producer Gale Anne Hurd and showrunner Natalie Chaidez are doing goes far beyond simple advertising. In development of their new show for Syfy ‘Hunters’, the two wanted to use Spotify‘s platform in the show as well as real life. “It wasn’t a marketing strategy, it was a creative decision. We wrote it in the script, but we didn’t think we’d have the opportunity to work with them. Then we though, can we get the real Spotify?”.

Hunters features a modern day setting where underground groups of alien terrorists secretly communicate using a digital platform. The digital platform that the aliens are using… Spotify of course! As part of the partnership there will be playlists curated by a “a sinister DJ” from the show as well as a sweepstakes involving coded messages within the playlists that fans will have to crack. Additionally, at Austin, Texas’ South by Southwest Interactive conference an augmented reality experience themed on Hunters will be hosted by Spotify.

If this wasn’t enough to convince you of how unique Spotify’s partnership with the show is they collaborated frequently with the creators throughout the production of the entire 13-episode season. Producer Gale Anne Hurd said: “A lot of times, these things are really corporate – It’s can we show this product for this many seconds?”

Rich Frankel, Spotify’s creative director, confirmed that whilst not the first TV and movie partnership for Spotify their partnership with Spotify is definitively the most elaborate deal to date. He said: “To have a media company approach us like this is a dream scenario. It’s the perfect association for our brand.”

While there were concerns from Spotify’s team that the show may suggest that Spotify is easy to hack Hunters’ creators happily made sure that depiction wasn’t a possibility. Mr. Frankel joked that, had Spotify written the script, they might not have had alien terrorists using Spotify, but said “at least we’ll be used by the good guys to help solve problems.”

Hunters premieres on Syfy April 11th.