In the US, overall TV viewership is down amongst youth (12-24) and there are not any signs of it reversing (Nielson 2014). Brands who want to reach this youth audience have to look beyond traditional advertising to have a lasting impact and build relationships with them. Branded Entertainment has been a way to connect and engage in a relevant way with this audience and establish authenticity. It also becomes a way to make the brand have a role in the daily behaviors of young people. The challenge is that many brands are competing for the same mindshare and time for this audience.

We gathered huge internet stars and hot new musical artists created a music video called “Left Swipe Dat.”

We used a teaser on the Grammys and a mobile YouTube takeover to drive viewers to the full-length video. Next, we partnered with MTV, Adult Swim, and ABC Family to write Left Swipe Dat into teens favorite TV shows. We then worked with College Humor and Buzzfeed to release original Left Swipe Dat content, all driving to the video. Finally, we enlisted 8 huge Youtube artists to create their own versions of Left Swipe Dat, inspiring teens to do the same.

The video premiered the night of the Grammys. We got over 17,000 organic Twitter mentions from some big names, including Youtube star Tyler Oakley. Left Swipe Dat trended worldwide at #1 that night, twice, beating out #Grammys on the night of the Grammys.

In a few months the song got over 60,000 plays on Spotify, over a billion earned media impressions, over $20 million in added value, over 39 million video views, and an organic entry in Urban Dictionary. Ultimately, the campaign culminated by changing teen behavior and associating “Left Swipe Dat” with rejecting smoking behavior in real-life.