Dive Brief:
- Mastercard is supporting the launch of Lady Gaga’s new album “Mayhem” with exclusive fan experiences tied to the singer’s latest single, “Abracadabra,” according to a press release.
- The payments company helped unveil “Abracadabra” in a commercial around the Grammy Awards Sunday night and published the video for “Abracadabra” on its YouTube page. The brand is inviting Little Monsters — a term for die-hard Gaga fans — to recreate the song’s dance moves on TikTok, Instagram and other social platforms.
- Those who submit their #MastercardGagaContest routines have the chance to appear in an upcoming fan version of “Abracadabra” and win a trip to a Club Mayhem dance party hosted by Gaga. In addition, Mastercard will post behind-the-scenes content for “Mayhem” on its social channels in the lead up to the March 7 release.
Dive Insight:
Mastercard further deepens its ties to music culture through the collaboration with Lady Gaga around her highly anticipated eighth studio album, “Mayhem.” The video for “Abracadabra,” the third single, dropped Sunday night around the Grammy Awards, which saw a performance from Gaga and Bruno Mars paying tribute to the victims of the Los Angeles wildfires.
Pop musicians partnering with brand marketers represents a rich tradition but those types of relationships have evolved in the social media era. Mastercard is promoting the “Mayhem” rollout by publishing a sponsored video for “Abracadabra” on its own social channels, as well as sharing exclusive content where Gaga discusses the creative thinking behind her typically extravagant hair, wardrobe and dance choices. Gaga worked with Parris Goebel on the choreography for “Abracadabra,” which has received a warm reception from listeners who view the song as a return to the pop star’s over-the-top roots.
Mastercard is also leveraging the Gaga tie-up for its Priceless Experience platform, giving fans who submit recordings of themselves doing the “Abracadabra” dance on apps like TikTok and Instagram the chance to appear in a new version of the video and attend a party with Gaga. Viral TikTok video dance trends can propel song popularity, meaning Mastercard’s contest may give “Abracadabra” an extra bump of momentum on the charts.
Mastercard is a long-time sponsor of the annual music awards show, along with other industry gatherings like The Brit Awards. The payments marketer also previously released an original album themed around its “Priceless” positioning.
Other brands took advantage of the Grammys to unveil high-caliber artist collaborations. Heinz mustard announced a partnership with producer Mustard that will see the hip-hop hitmaker behind Kendrick Lamar’s Record of the Year-winning “Not Like Us” co-create a new condiment flavor.