Key Takeaways
- Chispa's research suggests that emotional lows, and not just emotional highs, may be an overlooked business opportunity for the dating industry.
- The campaign taps into young daters' preference for spontaneous, vulnerable, low-pressure interactions over formal, high-stakes dates.
- Chispa is treating livestreaming and content creation as catalysts for connection, not just as tools for audience engagement.
- This campaign shows how dating apps can use shared passions to encourage authentic, offline interactions without abandoning the digital experience.
At the risk of being sacrilegious, I have to admit: I hope my team loses at the World Cup. In fact, I hope they lose big time.
Before you judge me (and egg my house), please hear me out. Chispa, the Match Group-owned dating app for US Latinx daters, found that nearly half of surveyed users (48%) are more likely to seek out companionship when their team loses than when their team wins.
Talk about a silver lining — and a prime opportunity for the dating industry to facilitate post-loss matches.
Chispa is taking advantage of this increased desire for connection with its new Lucky Losers campaign. When a team loses at the World Cup, two of this team’s fans can bond over the loss during a “premium matchmaking ride” in a Chispa x Alto car.
And if you and your speed dating participant in the Chispa x Alto car end up hitting it off (kicking it off?), Chispa will pay for your first official dinner date.
“I think the biggest misconception is that people only want to date when everything feels perfect or when they’re in the best mood,” Julia Estacolchic, Senior Director of Brand and Marketing at Chispa, told DatingNews. “What this research showed us is that connection can actually happen in vulnerable, imperfect moments too.”
Our need for companionship in the face of disappointment is an untapped opportunity for the dating industry. “Modern dating isn’t always about the perfectly curated moment,” Estacolchic explained. “Sometimes it’s about finding someone who can laugh with you, comfort you, or just be there after your team breaks your heart.”
How Does Chispa Turn Sports Losses Into Dating Opportunities?
This campaign sounds simple enough, but it actually plays on two complex factors: the low-stakes spontaneity of a speed date and the intense emotions we experience following our team’s defeat.
And with 29% of respondents seeking comfort after a loss, and 18% seeking a distraction, there’s an opportunity for both meaningful matchmaking and fun, spontaneous interactions, too. In fact, a whopping 97% of respondents said they’d still go on a date the day their team suffers a difficult loss.
Preferred Types of Date Following Sports Team’s Loss
Source: Chispa
The type of date respondents prefer is telling: They’re more likely to choose a quiet, one-on-one date, like dinner (31%), takeout and cuddling (27%), and sports talk with food and/or drinks (23%) over a loud, wild party (17%).
After all, we instinctually crave meaningful social interactions following a tough sports loss: 27% of respondents said they immediately open a dating app or text their crush, and Chispa said that 21% of respondents “reach out to find someone to grab drinks or comfort food with.”
“Younger daters don’t always want something overly formal,” Estacolchic said. “They want something that feels playful, shared, and authentic.”
Why Is Chispa Blending Livestreaming With Dating?
You and your soccer-loving speed date wouldn’t be in the car alone. Chispa adds another element of social interaction (and social engagement) by having well-known streamers in the car as “interactive wingmen”, including Chance, Miriam, XOJAS, and Romeo.
And, naturally, the dates are broadcast live by the streamers themselves, allowing fans to watch while the couple plays compatibility games and get to know each other.
Chispa makes maximum use of this engagement potential by making it possible for people to participate both on and offline. Users can put “Lucky Losers” stickers on their Chispa profiles so other soccer fans know they’re interested in connecting.
Remember when I said this campaign sounded simple? Chispa knows it has a lot of balls in the air (pun intended), but Estacolchic told us that strong creator performance and livestream participation are not the main goals.
“The bigger goal is seeing whether the idea actually moves people to connect,” she explained.
Why Is Chispa Betting on Sports to Spark Connection?
Watching sports is an inherently social activity, which makes it a natural environment for authentic connection. And according to Estacolchic, this makes Lucky Losers an even more fitting experience for young daters. “Dating today is so much more social and interactive than it used to be,” she pointed out.
She’s right. The downfall of the classic swipe format is only the tip of the iceberg; we’ve heard time and again that Gen Z daters are tired of being separated by a screen, and instead crave the kind of IRL meet-cutes their parents had.
“The bigger goal is seeing whether the idea actually moves people to connect.” -Julia Estacolchic
And yet, young people are accustomed to the instant gratification that only social media can provide.
Chispa makes the most of these competing needs with Lucky Losers. “Younger singles are used to sharing moments in real time, getting their friends’ opinions, watching things unfold online, and making entertainment part of the experience,” Estacolchic explained.
This campaign makes it possible for daters to bond IRL without totally leaving their digital comfort zones.
Of course, not everyone is in the mood for love following their team’s devastating defeat. Twenty-four percent said they would never open a dating app immediately after their team’s defeat. But considering the potential for real romance during this time, their reluctance to connect is their loss — literally.
