Rockstar has partnered with Spotify to launch a new music-focused platform called “Press Play.” Photo Credit: Rockstar Energy Drink
On the heels of Pepsi’s announcement of a far-reaching tie-up with Bad Bunny and Apple Music, PepsiCo’s Rockstar Energy has partnered with Spotify to launch a “new global platform” called Press Play in Europe and the Middle East.
Rockstar emailed Digital Music News today about the quick-approaching debut of Press Play, which is set to kick off this summer “with an in-app concert experience on Spotify.” The energy drink company’s plans to venture “further into the world of music” have entered the media spotlight just days after Red Bull, despite cutting back on its once-considerable music-community involvement amid the pandemic, unveiled the lineup for Batalla USA 2023.
Of course, Monster Beverage (close to 20 percent of which belongs to The Coca-Cola Company) is likewise continuing to lean into live music events and sponsorship agreements with specific artists to market its products. Meanwhile, different energy drink brands yet have grappled with litigation over the allegedly unauthorized use of tracks.
Beyond the Spotify union – Rockstar customers in Europe and the Middle East will also have a chance to win six-month subscription codes – the PepsiCo subsidiary intends to “connect the digital and physical worlds with online and OOH [out of home advertising] activations.”
The latter are expected to encompass “partnerships with several chart-topping artists,” per 22-year-old Rockstar, which hasn’t disclosed the involved acts. However, higher-ups signaled that they’re poised to reveal the “virtual performances” at hand “ahead of summer.”
Elaborating upon the deal’s particulars, PepsiCo VP of international beverages marketing Bart LaCount communicated in part: “With our ‘Press Play’ platform, we are committed to delivering the boost needed to be your best self and do the things you love. The Spotify partnership and upcoming digital events illustrate our commitment to this mission, as it will set up music fans for an unforgettable experience.”
Regarding the decision to collaborate with Spotify and to zero in on Europe and the Middle East – it doesn’t appear that the promotional Rockstar products will become available for purchase in North America – Rockstar only rolled out in the United Arab Emirates in late 2021.
Also looking to enhance its presence in MENA – home to the world’s fastest-growing music market thanks largely to streaming’s ongoing expansion, according to the IFPI – is Spotify. Now with an Arabic-language mobile app in Morocco (population 37 million) and Saudi Arabia (36 million), the Stockholm-headquartered platform reported massive Q1 user growth outside North America, Latin America, and Europe.