Together with CUPRA Germany and it's agency partners we launched the first-ever virtual artist — THE MUSIC HERO — an artist created not by brand, but by community. Built as an open co-creation journey, the project invited fans to shape the personality, sound, and look of a digital DJ, leading up to a full holo-gig at PAROOKAVILLE Festival.
Challenging the status quo with a community inspired co-creation
As a first mover, CUPRA accelerated the trend of co-creation by empowering the community to shape their own unique symbol — the brand’s first-ever virtual ambassador: THE MUSIC HERO. This community-driven journey unfolded across three key stages, activated through CUPRA’s channels and a live Twitch event, and culminated in the first-ever hologram performance by a virtual artist at PAROOKAVILLE.
Phase 1: Inspired by Music a Co-Creation with Spotify
At the core of this activation was the Community Hub — a digital space where fans could directly influence the development of THE MUSIC HERO. Through interactive tools, users helped shape the character’s look, sound, and identity. Using AI and the Spotify API, real fan listening data was taken into account to guide the musical direction of THE MUSIC HERO with the fans favorite songs.
Phase 2: Live CO-Creation via Twitch Session
A major highlight was the live Twitch co-creation session, featuring top streamers such as Lara Loft, JenNyan, and Izzi, along with other accelerators such as CUPRA brand ambassador Toni Mahfud. Each streamer brought their community into the process in a five hour long squad stream, and co-created with them a unique part of the music heros appearance.
Phase 3: Live Motion Caption Performance by DJ Hugel
To complete the co-creation, international DJ Hugel — a PAROOKAVILLE mainstage regular — joined the project. He crafted a custom DJ set and performance, brought to life through full motion capture, adding the final touches of music and movement to the virtual artist.
The Hologram Performance live at Parookaville
On the opening day of Parookaville 23, THE MUSIC HERO made its world premiere at the fully immersive CUPRA Wacky Shack stage at PAROOKAVILLE. As the first virtual artist to perform at the festival, THE MUSIC HERO appeared through cutting-edge hologram technology in front of the fans performing a fifteen minute long gig. The performance was amplified on social media by creators and streamers attending the event — supported by a custom-built AR filter that allowed fans to become their own version of THE MUSIC HERO.
The power of community: Making the Gen-Z part of your brands story
THE MUSIC HERO campaign didn’t just break new ground in virtual brand experiences and storytelling— it delivered measurable impact across channels, platforms, and business results.
With over 200,000 participants actively involved in the co-creation process, the campaign became one of CUPRA’s most engaging community activations to date. From shaping THE MUSIC HERO’s identity to joining live Twitch streams and voting in the Community Hub, fans played a central role in bringing the virtual artist to life.
The digital reach was outstanding:
- 200 million Instagram impressions
- 13 million combined Twitch and Spotify impressions
This wide visibility was powered by streamers, creators, and fans — and enabled CUPRA to successfully reach new target audiences, especially Gen Z, on the platforms and in the formats where they are most active.
The campaign also had a measurable impact on brand perception and business performance:
- 22% uplift in First Choice, elevating CUPRA in the competitive set
- +2% increase in brand likeability
- +52% rise in interest for new sales models, demonstrating strong conversion potential
In recognition of its innovation and cultural relevance, our campaign won the Media Preise in 2024 in the category „Media-Idee Markenerlebnis“, highlighting its pioneering role in immersive, audience-led brand experiences.
Together, these results demonstrate how we created a state-of-the-art, cross-platform campaign that bridges the real and digital worlds. In collaboration with CUPRA, we proved that co-creation is more than just a campaign mechanic — it’s a blueprint for emotionally connected, future-facing brand experiences and campaigns.
