Red Bull Dance x UNO
Flying to Boston to engage with street dance competitions in person.
Trend Analysis | Since October 2024
The Moment
What Happened
Red Bull announced their 2024 “Wild Cards”, dancers invited to shake up the competition at the World Finals of Red Bull Dance’s tournament-style street dance competitions.
Why It Matters
Breaking, one of many street dance styles, made its debut at the Summer Olympics to mixed reviews. With breaking not returning to the Olympics until at least 2032, Red Bull Dance provides annual opportunities for the global visibility of styles with rich histories often tied to Black, Brown, and LGBTQ+ communities.
Opportunity
Play it safe with a music-platform partnership, highlighting the importance of music in dance competitions reliant on personality and creativity. Or take a risk with UNO, the game known for wild cards and playful competition.
Explaining the Obsession
I committed to UNO, building my own creative and folding music sharing into a social-first campaign that leverages the mainstream rise of street dance to bring new life to a classic game.
I also took my passion for Red Bull Dance beyond the screen. I switched from watching battle clips to taking class with a competitor, to flying to Boston to see the competition. I spoke with strangers along with former teammates, and I saw how dancers with both choreography and freestyle backgrounds engaged with the brand and competition.
Share Your Style
Music genres are matched to 2024 Wild Card dancers in Instagram story templates, a shareable opportunity for creative pride and community engagement. Red Bull Dance fans can show off their favorite dancers, and broader audiences familiar with UNO are invited to tune into Red Bull Dance’s livestreams and see the creativity that can be inspired by playful competition.
Choose Your Players
A special-edition UNO deck acts as a collectible as well as an invitation to extend street dance competition to the game.
With 4 of the 16 Red Bull Dance Wild Cards joining UNO’s wild cards in each deck, consumers can collect their favorites or learn about new players in a classic game.