Brief:
- Dating app OkCupid added a profile badge that lets "Game of Thrones" fans show their enthusiasm for the HBO hit series, the company announced. The badge marks the first time that dating app users can find a potential match based on their favorite TV show.
- Every member who responds "yes" to the question "Do you watch Game of Thrones?" will get the profile badge. The series has been mentioned more than 2 million times on OkCupid profiles, the company found, leading it to incorporate the badge into the dating app ahead of the eighth and final season of the fantasy drama that premieres on April 14. OkCupid will remove the badge from user profiles when the series wraps up in June.
- OkCupid works to pair people with similar interests to help them start conversations, and uses surveys to learn more about their tastes and preferences. The latest "Game of Thrones" survey found that women were most likely to cite Khal Drogo and Daenerys Targaryen as their "relationship goals," while men preferred the pairing of Jon Snow and "wildling" Ygritte.
Insight:
"Game of Thrones" hype is steadily building as HBO nears the premiere date for the final season of the hit series, and OkCupid wants to participate in the millions of conversations that fans will likely have about the show. More than half (57%) of OkCupid users plan to watch previous seasons before the final one begins, giving people a reason to plan a date centered on the shows and highlighting why the dating app integrated the badge. OkCupid estimates that the badges will help to generate 20% more likes and 15% more conversations among other app users, Adweek reported.
OkCupid is the latest brand to ride the show's hype. After the show's seventh season wrapped up in August 2017, HBO and sister company Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment developed a massively multiplayer strategy game for mobile devices. The mobile game and OkCupid's themed badge aim to extend the brand and keep fans engaged as they await the next season. Most notably, Bud Light scored one of the best-received Super Bowl ads with a 60-second spot that featured "Game of Thrones" characters.
Several other brands are also working to draw on the excitement around the hit TV show. With the Magic Leap One AR headset set to go on sale at a handful of AT&T stores next week, the companies are getting in on the "Game of Thrones" hype by transforming the carrier's flagship stores in major cities into augmented and virtual reality (VR) experiences. The companies on April 1 will unveil "The Dead Must Die: A Magic Leap Encounter" in Boston, followed by Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Dallas at later dates, Variety reported. Several flagship stores also will have video content, custom digital games, and exclusive displays of series memorabilia and authentic costumes from "Game of Thrones."
