Desperados Just Released a Summer Earworm With App That Turns Dance Moves Into Rewards
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In 2021, Heineken’s tequila-flavored beer Desperados launched an app called “Rave to Save” that let people convert their dance moves into donations to nightclubs hard hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. Clubs may be reopened now, but for many people, the cost-of-living crisis has dampened summertime’s typical party spirit.
Desperados wants to inject more fun into the season with a new membership program that builds upon its previous pandemic efforts. The “Desperados Dance Club” app, created by digital production company Robot Kittens and Amsterdam agency We Are Pi, provides users with rewards–just as long as they keep dancing.
The app launched across the U.K., Europe and Africa with a playful 40-second film directed by Henri + Diego through production company 1stAveMachine. The catchy tune announces, “We made an app, a really cool app,” alongside colorful scenes of dancers who earn charitable donations, VIP passes, merchandise and tickets.
The app ties dance steps to rewards and will release new incentives each month. Currently, it allows users who accumulate 500 dance steps to unlock a playlist of “guilty pleasure” tunes, ranging from ABBA’s Dancing Queen to Luis Fonsi’s Despacito.
The campaign is based on an insight that may seem pretty obvious to some–dancing can improve people’s moods–and its goal is to build a long-term connection with its target audience of Gen Z, according to a brand spokesperson.
As with the Rave to Save app, there is also a charitable aspect to the program, with partiers able to cash in between 500 and 3,000 steps for donations to organizations such as Women in Music or Stonewall. Desperados chose these charity partners because they align with its purpose of making the dance floor safer and more inclusive.
Consumers can join an in-app competition on August 11, with the person who earns the most steps winning a trip to Ibiza to attend Elrow’s Delusionville party. Elrow also worked with Desperados on the Rave to Save app.
Desperados will promote the app with influencers and at European festivals this summer. Some events allow attendees to earn special rewards such as a Desperados bucket hat or a donation to Belgian LGBTQ+ youth organization Wel Jong.
https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/desperados-just-released-a-summer-earworm-with-app-that-turns-dance-moves-into-rewards/