Vote with your heart

Everyone knows Swedes love the Eurovision Song Contest. So much so, they hold a 6-week long contest called Melodifestivalen to determine their entry to the festival. Together with TV channel SVT, we wanted to help all 4 million viewers to feel a real-time connection with the show.
We did so by creating a second screen app that encouraged users to vote in the moment with all their heart. And we mean that literally as well as figuratively. Users voted for their favourite act by pressing the heart symbol whenever they felt inspired to throughout a performance.

An ongoing development

The project that started it all in 2014 let us make a concept and develop the initial app for the show. The primary highlight of the app's initial iteration was its revolutionary feature allowing users to vote in real-time during the shows. Beyond this, it provided valuable information about the competing artists and a feature allowing users to make predictions on the results.

Over the subsequent 8 years since the app's initial launch, we have been trusted to maintain, support, and enhance the app with additional features and updated designs. The current version boasts a myriad of functionalities meticulously designed to captivate users and to enrich their overall experience with the show.

A vibrant community

At the core of our mission is the significance off allowing our users to connect. With each other, with the show and even with the people behind the show. Consequently, a multitude of functionalities has been integrated over the years, empowering our users to connect in different ways.

Users can send each other friend requests and form of groups to connect. Within these groups, users can explore intriguing statistics, delving into how fellow members voted and the predictions they made. They can also use the chat-functionality to talk to each other within the app.

Furthermore, our the app includes a "Ask Me Anything" format, featuring live-streamed interviews with artists directly accessible through the app.

This interactive experience allows users to post questions directly to the interviewer. We also have a news feed where both SVT and the artists can post news, and images related to the show.

A visual spectacle

While the app was originally conceived as a second-screen experience, we made a decision to transform it into a primary screen for those without access to a television. Today, users have the option to immerse themselves directly in the live show within the app whenever it airs. In the absence of the live broadcast, the app seamlessly transitions into a captivating video-jukebox, treating users to enchanting performances from Melodifestivalen's rich history whenever they tune in.
Users can also create watch-parties and chat while watching Mello content together.

A collection experience

Another feature comes in the form of digital collector's cards, initially conceived to spotlight Melodifestivalen's "All Stars" – a distinguished collection of individuals pivotal to the show's legacy, showcased as collectible cards within the app.

What began as a simple idea soon evolved into a phenomenon, capturing the hearts of users who expressed a keen interest in the concept. Responding to this enthusiasm, we expanded the functionality, enabling users to engage in card trading, earn extra cards through daily streaks, and introduced multiple "albums" to house an ever-growing array of collectible cards.

Several years since its inception, the users have generated over 1.2 billion cards and they have gone beyond the app, forming dedicated Facebook groups to share their collecting experiences, discussing coveted cards, and strategizing on completing their prized collections.