How Mashreq’s SMASHREQ Game Took Over TikTok and Captured Gen Z’s Attention

Mashreq’s latest SMASHREQ campaign, an augmented actuality (AR) recreation launched on TikTok, has confirmed to be a masterclass in utilizing progressive digital content material to seize the eye of Gen Z, the demographic that has confirmed to be notoriously elusive for manufacturers.

Here is how this recreation not solely grabbed consideration however created a cultural phenomenon that manufacturers can be taught from.

The SMASHREQ Marketing campaign: A Strategic Intersection of Gaming and Branding

Mashreq’s SMASHREQ marketing campaign was launched because the first-ever padel recreation on TikTok, profiting from the platform’s immersive AR capabilities to interact customers in a enjoyable and interactive expertise. Designed to attach Mashreq with the rising padel group, the sport’s major goal was to boost model consciousness and solidify Mashreq’s place as a distinguished participant within the sports activities and wellness house.

Not like typical social media ads, this initiative built-in seamlessly into TikTok’s tradition, making it really feel much less like an commercial and extra like an leisure expertise that customers actively wished to interact with.

The sport itself was a easy but charming idea: customers may take part in a digital padel recreation immediately throughout the app, and the AR parts enhanced the immersion, making the gameplay really feel interactive and dynamic. By leveraging TikTok’s AR options, Mashreq was in a position to create one thing that was not solely enjoyable to play but in addition extremely shareable.

Attaining Viral Success: Spectacular Marketing campaign Metrics

Whereas engagement metrics are sometimes a vital indicator of a marketing campaign’s success, SMASHREQ’s efficiency is very noteworthy. Within the first 30 days of its launch, the marketing campaign delivered a staggering 230 million impressions, 42 million clicks, and an 18% click-through fee (CTR), outperforming over 40 different video games launched on the platform prior to now two years.

One of many key elements behind this success was the sport’s distinctive dwell time. On common, customers spent 200 seconds partaking with SMASHREQ, a exceptional 143% increased than the standard dwell time seen with different TikTok content material. This degree of engagement is not only spectacular—it’s a testomony to how properly the sport resonated with the viewers, retaining them hooked and coming again for extra.

Gen Z’s Love for Interactive Content material

The Gen Z viewers is very wanted for its social media affect, however capturing their consideration isn’t any straightforward feat. Not like earlier generations, Gen Z values interactive and customized content material over passive consumption. SMASHREQ’s gamified format hit the mark by providing a compelling, interactive expertise that customers may have interaction with repeatedly.

@mashreq Just lately, we launched SMASHREQ—the digital padel recreation on TikTok that united gamers throughout the UAE and Egypt. Whether or not you performed, watched, or shared the joy, you made this an unbelievable expertise! With every participant averaging 2-3 video games and a formidable playtime of two.4 minutes (121% above TikTok’s common!), SMASHREQ grew to become a real viral hit. Thanks for being a part of #SMASHREQ! لقد قمنا مؤخراً بإطلاق لعبة البادل الافتراضية SMASHREQ على تيك توك لتجمع لاعبي الإمارات العربية المتحدة ومصر معاً. لقد ساهمت معنا في إضفاء المزيد من الحماس على هذه التجربة الرائعة سواء كلاعب أو متابع أو حتى مشجع، حيث شارك كل لاعب بمعدل 2-3 مباريات لمدة استثنائية بلغت 2.4 دقيقة (ما يزيد 121% عن متوسط وقت تيك توك) مما أسهم في تحقيق SMASHREQ لهذا النجاح الباهر بكل المقاييس. نشكرك على مشاركتك في #SMASHREQ! #Mashreq #RiseEveryDay #Rise_Every_Day ♬ original sound – Mashreq

Furthermore, the sport’s integration of padel, a sport that aligns with Gen Z’s love for dynamic, social actions, additional cemented its enchantment. The sport allowed customers to actively take part in challenges, making them really feel extra linked to the content material whereas additionally offering a way of accomplishment by way of rating monitoring.

Influencers and Padel Neighborhood Collaboration

To gas additional engagement, Mashreq collaborated with top athletes from the UAE Padel Affiliation and the Egyptian Padel Federation. These collaborations weren’t solely genuine but in addition performed a pivotal function in driving the sport’s reputation.

Influencers and athletes promoted the sport by way of challenges and by encouraging their followers to beat their excessive scores. This technique created a way of group across the recreation and led to natural promotion, as customers have been motivated to interact with the sport and share their progress with their very own social circles.

@rumiuae #SMASHREQ #foryou #mashreqbank ♬ original sound – Rumi Munawar

These strategic partnerships have been key in amplifying the sport’s attain, turning it into greater than only a branded marketing campaign however a viral sensation that resonated with the core values of TikTok’s group: leisure, competitors, and social interplay.

Leveraging Ramadan’s Social Site visitors

Timing is the whole lot with regards to digital campaigns, and Mashreq neatly aligned the launch of SMASHREQ with the height social visitors throughout Ramadan. The marketing campaign launched on March 25, 2025, tapping into the elevated on-line exercise throughout this era.

By capitalizing on this timing, Mashreq ensured most attain and engagement from customers who have been already energetic on TikTok throughout Ramadan, which led to a big surge in recreation participation.

Turning SMASHREQ Right into a Cultural Phenomenon

What units SMASHREQ aside from different branded video games is its capacity to transcend past a advertising marketing campaign and grow to be a cultural phenomenon. The excessive engagement ranges, coupled with user-generated content and the aggressive nature of the sport, helped the sport grow to be a social media sensation. Customers weren’t simply enjoying the sport; they have been sharing their excessive scores, collaborating in challenges, and contributing to the general buzz.

Mashreq has proven that whenever you create one thing that resonates with the audience—whether or not it is by way of gamification, influencer collaboration, or strategic timing—the outcomes may be phenomenal. The marketing campaign’s success isn’t nearly numbers; it’s about constructing a group, creating conversations, and making a long-lasting affect in your viewers.

What Can Manufacturers Study From SMASHREQ’s Success?

The SMASHREQ marketing campaign is a shining instance of how manufacturers can harness the ability of gamification and digital engagement to attach with youthful, extra digital-savvy audiences.

Listed below are a number of takeaways for entrepreneurs:

• Know Your Viewers: Gen Z craves interactivity. Creating experiences that enable customers to take part, compete, and share is essential to sustaining engagement.
• Leverage Platform Options: TikTok’s AR and gamified options have been essential to the success of SMASHREQ. Understanding the distinctive capabilities of every platform is crucial to creating content material that feels native and genuine.
• Timing Is All the pieces: Align your campaigns with key occasions or durations of excessive social visitors (e.g., Ramadan) to maximise attain and engagement.
• Influencer and Neighborhood Engagement: Collaborating with influencers and making a community-driven marketing campaign amplifies the attain and belief of your message.
• Knowledge-Pushed Selections: The spectacular metrics behind SMASHREQ present that information, like dwell time and CTR, needs to be intently monitored to measure the impact of digital campaigns and refine methods.

How SMASHREQ Redefined Gen Z Engagement on TikTok

Mashreq’s SMASHREQ recreation isn’t only a advertising success; it’s a case research in how you can join with Gen Z by way of gamification, social media platforms, and genuine model partnerships. By tapping into the rising development of interactive content material, leveraging influencers, and capitalizing on strategic timing, Mashreq created a marketing campaign that resonated with customers and left a long-lasting affect on TikTok.

For manufacturers seeking to have interaction with Gen Z, SMASHREQ supplies a roadmap for how you can successfully mix gaming, community-building, and digital advertising right into a viral, cultural second.

Concerning the Writer

Author

Kalin Anastasov performs a pivotal function as an content material supervisor and editor at Influencer Advertising Hub. He expertly applies his search engine marketing and content material writing expertise to boost every bit, making certain it aligns with our pointers and delivers unmatched high quality to our readers.