Whiplr
50 Shades of Whiplr
How do you make an app famous? Ride the news agenda
Challenge
Whiplr is a messenger with kinks, an app dedicated to bringing the kinky world to the masses. How do you make a niche app newsworthy enough for mainstream media coverage? A world which is usually not kinky at all?
Check out how our team aligned Whiplr’s PR strategy with a global sensation.
Process
The app was ready to launch January 10th, but we at SlicedBrand have a saying: You only get one chance to launch! So…..we decided to connect our brand to the news agenda and what people were already talking about! We postponed the product’s launch day, to make it closer to the 14th of February. But, why February 14th? You’re probably thinking Valentine’s Day, right?
Wrong! February 14 was the opening date of 50 Shades of Grey
Solution
Whiplr is Tinder with kinks that will help make 50 Shades of Grey your reality!
Results
- Even though it was a niche app, we were able to achieve popularity with mainstream media and the general public
- Every publication ran with the 50 shades of Tinder angle that we came up with
- Our story was featured in over 500 articles and TV segments, with everyone we reached out to, from lifestyle to tech press, covering the app
- We landed Whiplr the top spot on numerous app stores and lists
- Whiplr received its first one million downloads within its first two years of launching
- The app was recognized as “App of the Year” at the 2016 Sexhibition Expo
Coverage
As featured in
“"Founded two years ago, Whilpr is unapologetically and squarely aimed at people interested in the world of kink – from the mild to the more hardcore. It's bringing all kinds of fetish to the fore, and today, business is booming. The team just celebrated their millionth app download, and the app is steadily growing in popularity. It now has over 1,500 new downloads a day."”Read article →
“"CCO of Whiplr, Daniel Sevitt, said they wanted to create an app for the kink community that would provide "a safe and welcome environment for the kink curious to begin their journey" and hopes the app will show that being kinky is "not something underground."”Read article →
“"We present to you: Whiplr. It is basically Tinder for Fifty Shades of Grey enthusiasts. According to Cosmopolitan, it's similar to other dating apps, where it pulls in users near your location, but this one doesn't offer any personal information. Oh, and its sole purpose is to find kinky sex partners. Basically, you specify what...stuff...you're looking to try out, and the app matches you to people with similar interests."”Read article →
“"Inspired by Tinder as well as 50 Shades of Grey, the whip-smart app allows bondage buffs to decide whether they want to be dominated - or do the dominating themselves. Whiplr advertises itself as a "messenger with kinks" and offers fetish fans to find partners who live nearby."”Read article →
“"Not only has Fifty Shades of Grey brought BDSM to the mainstream, E.L. James' erotic novel and its film adaptation have inspired a bondage friendly dating app that is similar to Tinder - but kinkier. Whiplr is a free location-based messaging app that discretely allows users to channel their inner Christian Grey by connecting them with people who share similar interests in BDSM or other fetishes."”Read article →
“"Mainstream dating services like Tinder, Grindr or OK Cupid don't make it too easy to admit if your tastes are "very singular." That's why Whiplr has been created as a hookup app for people who prefer to get off with more than just a special cuddle. Simply offer up a picture of your face, a nickname and a list of extra-curricular interests and you'll instantly be pointed to members in the local vicinity, arranged by distance."”Read article →
“"The idea came from within the kink community. There simply wasn't a mobile app for people to find and connect with other people into fetish and kink," said Whiplr's Chief Communications Officer, Daniel Sevitt. "We decided to come up with something that served the people who needed it, but could also be distributed through the two big mobile app gatekeepers, Apple and Google." Along with messaging, you can communicate via voice and video calls."”Read article →
