Budweiser's WHTSPP Records leaks stars' numbers — demos arrive as voice notes

In Colombia, an unsigned urban artist is only heard if they already have contacts in the industry — a near-impossible door for newcomers and especially for musicians outside the big cities. Budweiser's BudX Records, created in 2021 to fight that status quo, needed to grow from 1,200 to 8,000 artists called in a single year while proving the label was real.

DAVID Bogotá's answer was to make the application process identical to how Colombians actually talk: WhatsApp. The campaign deliberately leaked the phone numbers of the country's most-listened urban artists — Ryan Castro, Farina, LosPetitFellas, Rap Bang Club and Yera Music — printing them across TV, billboards, bus stops, trucks, print, banners, parties and social media, and inviting emerging artists to send a demo as easily as a voice note.

The stars themselves answered, giving constructive feedback, listening to the demos and choosing favorites, which turned the 'leak' into an intimate artist-to-artist exchange. According to the agency, the campaign received more than 5,000 WhatsApp messages and 25,000 demos, five times the previous year, generated over 200 million impressions and lifted brand power by 14%, while discovering ten potential superstars and bringing one winner to record with his favorite artist's support.

WHTSPP Records won a Bronze Lion in Radio & Audio at Cannes 2022 — alongside a second Bronze in Mobile — and was recognized at El Ojo de Iberoamérica 2022, where the same work took two Silver and two Bronze Lions and was named the best idea of Colombia.