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Diesel lays bare potential of contextual, native ads on Tinder and Shazam

Lifestyle brand Diesel is rolling out disruptive, native advertisements on the Tinder and Shazam applications that showcase fall and winter apparel while underscoring the effectiveness of reaching younger consumers on popular mobile channels.

The apparel brand has teamed up with Spring Studios NY to introduce the omnichannel campaign ahead of the peak holiday shopping season, and is turning to previously untapped mobile apps to serve users a unique marketing experience. Diesel is also undertaking a stronger focus at the wording used in its ads, ensuring that it provides a disruptive and memorable venture for consumers swiping through Tinder or locating music via Shazam.

"Diesel's audience is digital native and always mobile, so it was natural to engage with them through social media and apps,? said Richard Welch, global head of strategy at Spring Studios, New York.

A different marketing angle
Diesel sought to purchase advertisements on non-traditional media platforms to better cater to its target audience, prompting it to venture into the sector of dating and music apps. The fall/winter 2015 campaign is designed to slice through the clutter of mobile ads that users receive on a daily basis.

It is also meant to foster a dialogue with target customers via humor and the deconstruction of fashion, keeping in line with the brand?s tone.

To reach these goals, Diesel and Spring Studios rolled out native, contextual advertisements on Shazam and Tinder.

Shazam app users may see a branded banner ad in the middle of the screen, featuring a model donning Diesel gear alongside the phrase ?I know, please don?t judge me?? and a link to ?shop now.?

Another ?shop now? banner ad may also be visible at the bottom.

Consumers who are in the process of capturing a song snippet for the app to identify can also be met with a response from the Diesel brand if Shazam cannot locate the music. When Shazam informs the user ?We didn?t quite catch that? and asks him or her to try again, an ad may appear directly below, with the phrase ?I didn?t get it either? displayed next to a model.

Tinder app users will be able to catch a break from swiping through dating matches when a Diesel ad shows up in the form of a potential suitor. The phrases shown in these advertisements are relevant to consumers interested in dating, including ?This is how serious I am about us? superimposed over an image of a stoic model.

The call-to-action appears at the bottom of the photo, prompting individuals to tap if they would like to browse the entire new collection.

This strategy will likely work well for Diesel, as the ads appear in a way that seems contextual and disruptive at the same time. Instead of following in the footsteps of other clothing marketers rolling out stagnant ads on newer mobile platforms, Diesel is carving its own path on applications frequently used by its audience.

Shazamable power
Music app Shazam is slowly transforming into an unstoppable mobile channel, causing plenty of brands to take notice of its marketing potential.

Sony Pictures is giving fans a full-immersion experience for its upcoming Goosebump?s film by serving extra content and a sweepstakes to Shazam users who turn on the application during the film?s credits (see story).

Target is also giving consumers a new way to explore and purchase its products through a partnership with Shazam, with users of the application able to scan any print or television ad to access shoppable content (see story).

However, Diesel?s contextual approach places the apparel brand in a league of its own when it coms to mobile advertising.

?The brand has a natural affinity and long tradition in supporting music and musicians, a passion shared with its consumers, so partnering with Shazam was a natural fit,? Mr. Welch said.

Final Take
Alex Samuely, staff writer on Mobile Marketer, New York