Customer
PLD Space
Solution
Branded Mini-game
Timeline
2 Weeks
Result
Achieving a 33% Purchase Conversion Rate
| The customer
The Client
PLD Space is a pioneering Spanish aerospace company developing reusable launch vehicles for small satellite deployment. Recognised as leaders in European private-sector space access, they are known as much for their Miura rocket systems as they are for their vibrant community engagement and commitment to STEM education.
| The mission
The Mission
PLD Space wanted to celebrate their 14th birthday by gifting their community (employees, partners, and followers) a fun, engaging PLD space branded mini-game.
Beyond the celebration, the game would serve as a direct portal to their merch store, offering a 14% discount for anyone who reached Level 8 over the birthday weekend – a clever incentive designed to drive engagement and sales.
Services
Game Design · Asset Integration · Web Development · Analytics Tracking
18
%
Conversion Rate to Merch Store
33
%
Purchase Rate
0
1,161
Visits in Just 48 Hours
| The Brief
The Challenge
THE DATA INSIGHT
We integrated granular analytics to track exactly how the community interacted with the game over the birthday weekend. The results proved the power of “Dwell Time” in digital marketing:
01 / ENGAGEMENT
644 unique users visited the game 1,161 times in just 48 hours.
02 / RETENTION
34% of players returned for multiple sessions, with an average of 2.79 replays.
03 / PLATFORM
82% of players engaged via mobile, with Instagram driving 60% of all traffic.
04 / CONVERSION
Critically, 18% of all players clicked through to the merch store, and 33% of those users completed a purchase using the Level 8 discount code.
Dark Star Labs had also recently just celebrated their anniversary, and as all innovative companies do, we built ourselves a branded mini-game to share with our audience – enter ‘Cake Smash’. We had built the bare bones of cake smash in August, using our very own branded assets, and we posted it across our socials.
PLD Space happened upon it and they saw the potential for their own brand. They had rockets and a cake, they just needed a way to make it interactive. A branded mini-game aligned with their strategy of providing valuable, engaging experiences to their community.
Traditionally, building a branded mini-game meant months of development, navigating app store approvals, and asking users to undergo the friction of a download. Modern web technology has changed the landscape.
A “Branded Mini-game” is a high-impact, web-based experience delivered via a simple URL. It can be embedded as easily as a YouTube video and played instantly in any mobile or desktop browser.
| Our Approach
The Solution
We took PLD Space’s existing digital assets, rocket CADs and brand graphics, and created a bespoke arcade experience that felt native to the PLD universe and achieved a specific strategic objective in just 48 hours.
Mini-Game
The success of “PLD Cake Smash” led to an immediate follow-up project. PLD Space rebranded the game again for their “PLD Ad Astra” apprentice programme, adding Spanish translations and user-input fields to engage with prospective students on a deeper level. This proves that once you have the digital assets, the potential for rebranding and re-deploying for different campaigns is limitless.
| Mission Footage
The Assets
Run the Mission
“Fantastic team! Full of tech wisdom, agile creativity and great design orientation!”
PLD SpaceHead of Marketing
| Ready to Launch
IS YOUR BRAND READY TO PLAY?
We take your existing assets and turn them into bespoke mini-games that capture attention, build loyalty, and convert followers into customers. Let’s build your next high-score campaign.
