Dancing Machine
- Brand
- Old German Beer
- Year
- 2020
- Objective
- Engagement
- Industry
- Food & Drink
- Mechanic
- Music & Rhythm
- Platform
- Web
- Agency
- Top Hat
Objective
Old German was a cult regional beer with a devoted but tiny fanbase across Western Pennsylvania, Maryland and Portland, built almost entirely without marketing. As part of a full rebrand, Pittsburgh Brewing wanted a digital touchpoint that matched the beer's oddball personality and gave fans a reason to engage with the brand beyond spotting a can on the shelf.
Solution
Instead of a standard brand website, oldgermanbeer.com drops visitors straight into "Dancing Machine," a pixel-art retro dance game with its own chiptune-style soundtrack. Players work the keys to keep dancing through the night, racking up points as the session builds toward a final score, on desktop or mobile. Hit a high enough score and you're in the running for Old German merch — T-shirts, trucker caps, and sticker packs. The game ran alongside an offline treasure hunt called #FindHerman, where Old German billboards popped up around Pittsburgh, changed locations over time, and fans who spotted and photographed one could submit a selfie for a shot at the same prizes.
- 1
The game replaces Old German's brand website entirely: visiting oldgermanbeer.com drops the player directly into a retro-styled, pixel-art browser game with sound, rather than a corporate landing page.
- 2
The core loop is a dance challenge: the player dances through the night, racking up points over the course of a session.
- 3
Players who post high scores are rewarded with real-world Old German merchandise from the campaign line, including T-shirts, trucker caps, and sticker packs.
