Following 'Vax That Thang Up,' the dating app calls young voters to the ballot box
By Natalie Venegas at AdWeek
While dating apps are mostly focused on matching their users with a special someone, one app is focused on a totally different kind of hot action—midterm voting.
To shift Gen Z’s voting culture, BLK is collaborating with rap artists Trina and Saucy Santana to create yet another audacious anthem in the form of “No Voting, No Vucking.” The social campaign was created in partnership with agency Majority, which was behind last year’s public health jam “Vax That Thang Up” BLK teamed up with the Florida icons for the new single and video to be released during National Voter Education Week on Oct. 4.
“We couldn’t be more excited to announce this collaboration with two of the most trailblazing figures in hip-hop and culture,” Jonathan Kirkland, head of brand and marketing at BLK, said in a statement. “Our users are inspired by Trina’s confidence and her powerful female-first lyrics, while Saucy Santana’s fervent and self-assured lyrics have broken barriers of inclusivity in the hip-hop community. With these two cultural icons, we hope to empower a new generation of young voters to get involved in this and future elections.”
The track opens with Santana confidently proclaiming, “No Voting, No Vucking,” as Trina hops on with some clever political puns with lines like, “Don’t stop now, stuff my ballot box again, brought my homegirl through, we’ll put the bi in partisan.” Drawing on elements of the dating scene, the song aims to motivate young Black citizens to vote by positioning exercising your basic civic duty as the biggest turn-on of all.
In addition to the new PSA, the campaign will also incorporate in-app and other digital features to encourage young Black singles to get involved in the political scene. The dating app has created a digital hub called the Election Center where users can check their registration status, register to vote and learn more about political initiatives in their communities. Members will also have the opportunity to share a profile sticker that will allow users to match with others that share the same concerns over policy issues.
No vote? No flow? Go vote
Since its 2021 “Vax That Thang Up” campaign, which called attention to the need to get vaccinated against Covid-19, BLK has continued to highlight crucial issues impacting the Black community. For the 2022 Midterm Elections, BLK solidified its commitment toward getting young Black voices heard by partnering with When We All Vote, Michelle Obama’s nonpartisan initiative that aims to change the culture around voting and increase participation.
For BLK and agency Majority, the playful and flirty song is a way to not only encourage the younger generation to vote, but to continue the momentum by bringing even more young people into the democratic process. And as was the case with their previous collaboration, the creative pair is using music as a way of remaining in-step with culture. “Attraction boils down to how one prioritizes the physical, emotional and intellectual,” Omid Farhang, founder and CEO of Majority, said in a statement. “To encourage more singles to vote, we’re formally adding civic duty to that priority list.” Along with the new video, which can be viewed on YouTube, you can view the dedicated website for more information.